Department for Transport

Railways: Electrification

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) geographic and (b) track miles of train tracks have been electrified in each year since 1997.

Andrew Jones: The information requested is provided in the table below, covering England and Wales:Calendar year in which electrification infrastructure completed and testing completed to make ready for passenger use (Note 1)Approximate total route miles in the year (Note 2)Secretary of State for Transport19970 19980 19990 20000 20010 20020 200310Alistair Darling20040 20050 20060 20070 20080 20090 20100 20110 20120 201318Sir Patrick McLoughlin20140 201532Sir Patrick McLoughlin20160 201742Chris Grayling2018107Chris Grayling201949Chris GraylingTOTAL258  Note 1 – this date is not necessarily the date when the infrastructure is first used in timetabled passenger service. Note 2 – the route mileage figures are approximate. The figures are for the ‘traditional’ / existing railway only, so exclude the 67 miles of HS1 completed before 2010.

Department for Transport: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

Jesse Norman: The value of contracts held with the three parties is as follows: DELOITTESLAUGHTER & MAYMOTT MACDONALDDfTc£6,809,729.00£1,600,000.00£5,407,887.00DVSA£13,289,462.00NilNilMCANilNilNilVCANilNilNilDVLA£3,200,000.00NilNilTOTAL £23,299,191.00£1,600,000.00£5,407,887.00 This information relates to the central department and four of its executive agencies (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)). In each case, the contract totals relate to multiple contracts.

Seaborne Freight

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) award and (b) cancellation of the contract between his Department and Seaborne Freight.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Combined costs of external legal, financial and project assurance advice on all three freight contracts including legal advice up to the end of December 2018 were approximately £800,000. Subsequent costs up to termination cannot yet be derived as contracts are still live and invoices pending.

Seaborne Freight

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to award the contract formerly held by Seaborne Freight to a new firm.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department continues to investigate options for promoting freight capacity for the eventuality of a no-deal exit with constriction on the Dover and Channel Tunnel routes.

Seaborne Freight

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the contract signed between his Department and Seaborne Freight for the provision of ferry services in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal included provision for compensation for that company in the event that a deal for the UK to leave the EU is agreed.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: No. Nor was any compensation payable for termination of the contract.

Seaborne Freight

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings his officials had with executives of Seaborne Freight; and what the (a) length and (b) cost of those meetings was.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Several meetings involving executives of Seaborne Freight were held during contract negotiations and subsequently to discuss implementation. The full information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Seaborne Freight

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any expenses were claimed by civil servants undertaking their duties to establish contractual arrangements with Seaborne Freight.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Limited incidental travelling expenses were claimed by civil servants during the course of discussions. The precise total involved could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Seaborne Freight

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) FTE civil servants and (b) lawyers worked on the Seaborne Freight contract during the (i) due diligence, (ii) contract management and (iii) contract cancellation processes.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The contract awarded to Seaborne was part of a broader procurement exercise to secure additional freight capacity after Brexit, wherein nine companies were approached and contracts were awarded to three. The precise staff time involved could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Seaborne Freight

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of legal advice was to his Department during the (a) due diligence, (b) contract management and (c) contract cancellation process for the Seaborne Freight contract.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Combined costs of external legal, financial and project assurance advice on all three freight contracts including legal advice up to the end of December 2018 were approximately £800,000. Subsequent costs up to termination cannot yet be derived as contracts are still live and invoices pending.

Roads: Freight

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to support the Road Haulage Association's Road to Logistics initiative that provides (a) training and (b) employment within the road haulage sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Department has been working closely with industry representatives on the Road to Logistics package to ensure that the initiative is suitable for consideration by the Government. We are now giving the proposal for specific Government funding support careful scrutiny.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Vacancies

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the shortage of qualified HGV drivers in the road haulage industry; what steps he is taking to tackle that shortage; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The reasons for the HGV driver shortage are long standing and varied. The Government is helping the logistics sector make the most of the opportunities provided through the apprenticeship levy and the Trailblazer Apprenticeship the industry has created. The standards are a fundamental step in addressing labour shortages. In addition the Government has provided funding support for Think Logistics to promote the logistics sector as a career choice for young people.

Roads: Freight

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of road freight in the UK is carried by (a) UK-based and (b) non-UK based hauliers; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Of goods moved within the UK in 2017, 99% were carried by UK-registered HGVs and 1% by EU-registered HGVs. Of goods lifted to and from the UK in 2017: 37.8 million tonnes were by EU-registered HGVs, 7.4 million by GB-registered HGVs and 4.7 million tonnes by Northern Ireland registered HGVs.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Vacancies

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the shortage of qualified HGV drivers in the road haulage sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The UK road haulage sector estimates the shortage of qualified HGV drivers to be between 45,000 and 52,000. To address this the Government are helping the sector make the most of the apprenticeship levy and the Trailblazer Apprenticeships and are supporting the Think Logistics initiative to promote the logistics sector to young people.

British Transport Police

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of funding provided by the train operating companies' contribution to the British Transport Police in the last 12 months.

Andrew Jones: The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) is responsible for ensuring that the necessary funding is available to support the delivery of the British Transport Police’s Policing Plan. The BTPA sets the level of charges to support the cost of policing the network. The British Transport Police Fund Annual Report and Accounts, which is published by the BTPA, includes details about the Force’s financial performance. The most recent version, covering the 12 months to 31 March 2018, is available at https://btpa.police.uk/livesite/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/9053_BTPA_Annual_Report_18.pdf.

British Transport Police

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of support for passengers provided by the British Transport Police (a) at train stations and (b) on trains in the last 12 months.

Andrew Jones: The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) is responsible for ensuring an effective and efficient police force for the railway, including its passengers and staff. The British Transport Police Fund Annual Report and Accounts, which is published by the BTPA, includes details about the Force’s operational performance. The most recent version, covering the 12 months to 31 March 2018, is available at https://btpa.police.uk/livesite/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/9053_BTPA_Annual_Report_18.pdf. In addition, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces including the BTP. HMICFRS published a report in 2018 about the effectiveness of the BTP which emphasised its effectiveness in policing the railway environment, concluding that it compares favourably with the best performing Home Office forces at keeping people safe and reducing crime. A copy of the report is available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/722680/peel-police-effectiveness-2017-btp.pdf

Electric Vehicles: Batteries

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average battery life is for electric cars; and whether that corresponds to warranties on offer for those cars; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the battery life of electric cars of (a) charging at too frequent intervals, (b) not charging frequently enough and (c) not using the correct chargers; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the Government's strategy to achieve zero emission cars and vans of carbon emissions in the manufacture of batteries for cars with an annual mileage of less than 10,000 miles.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to reduce carbon emissions as a result of the manufacture of electric car batteries; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Through the £246m Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), the Government is investing in research and innovation projects and new facilities to scale up and advance the production, use and recycling of batteries. Projects funded so far include ones to improve battery lifespan and range, and increase the reuse, remanufacture and recycling of batteries at the end of their lives. The life of electric vehicle batteries generally depends on numerous factors, which makes it difficult to be precise about average battery life. Car manufacturers are well aware that potential customers are concerned about battery longevity, and many of them offer warranties tailored to the needs of electric vehicle motorists. A requirement for the Government’s Plug-in Car and Van Grant schemes is that eligible vehicles must have: either a minimum 5-year warranty on the vehicle’s battery and electric drive train as standard; or extra evidence of battery performance to show reasonable performance after three years of use. More generally, battery warranties are getting longer (in mileage and years) as battery technology improves and the industry grows more confident about battery degradation. The Government has made no assessment of the effect on the battery life of electric cars of charging too frequently, infrequently or using different charge points. However, some vehicle manufacturers are developing ambitious targets for their primary battery life. The Government’s Road to Zero strategy showed that battery electric vehicles have substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional vehicles, even when taking into account the electricity source and electricity used for battery production. Between now and 2050 it projects that grid emissions will fall by around 90% with total emissions from electric vehicles falling in parallel.

Dover Port: Large Goods Vehicles

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of freight vehicles that have approached the Port of Dover via the A2 in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.

Jesse Norman: The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow by vehicle type for each major road link in Great Britain. The table below provides a breakdown of the (a) average daily flow by (b) year since 2010 for vehicles likely to be used for freight purposes. The data is provided for the closest major road link on the A2 approaching the Port of Dover (Count Point No. 27864).  Average Daily Flow Estimates of Selected Vehicle Types at Count Point 27864 on the southbound A2 – 2010 to 2017YearAverage Daily Flow of Light Goods Vehicles1Average Daily Flow of Heavy Goods VehiclesCount Method220109141,126Counted20119351,107Estimated20129741,105Estimated20131,0341,114Estimated20141,159950Counted20151,2881,019Estimated20161,3911,027Estimated20171,4821,056Estimated1 Light Goods Vehicles may not all be used for freight carrying purposes2 DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others. Figures having an estimation method of “Counted” are likely to be more accurate than those marked as “Estimated”.Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics

Dover Port: Large Goods Vehicles

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of freight vehicles that have approached the Port of Dover via the A20 in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.

Jesse Norman: The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow by vehicle type for each major road link in Great Britain. The table below provides a breakdown of the (a) average daily flow by (b) year since 2010 for vehicles likely to be used for freight purposes. The data is provided for the closest major road link on the A20 approaching the Port of Dover Count Point No. 8107  Average Daily Flow Estimates of Selected Vehicle Types at Count Point 8107 on the Eastbound A20 – 2010 to 2017YearAverage Daily Flow of Light Goods Vehicles1Average Daily Flow of Heavy Goods VehiclesCount Method220101,2441,781Estimated20111,2831,745Estimated20121,2321,598Estimated20131,2461,508Estimated20141,3331,302Estimated20151,4021,293Estimated20161,5141,276Estimated20171,6131,310Estimated1 Light Goods Vehicles may not all be used for freight carrying purposes2 DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others. Figures having an estimation method of “Counted” are likely to be more accurate than those marked as “Estimated”.Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics

Dover Port: Motor Vehicles

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of tourist vehicles that have approached the Port of Dover via the A2 in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.

Jesse Norman: The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow by vehicle type for each major road link in Great Britain. Traffic counts do not establish trip purpose. The table below provides a breakdown of the (a) average daily flow by (b) year since 2010 for all vehicles split by type. The data is provided for the closest major road link on the A2 approaching the Port of Dover (Count Point No. 27864).   Average Daily Flow Estimates of All Motor Vehicles by type at Count Point 27864 on the southbound A2 – 2010 to 20171YearAverage Daily Flow of Cars and TaxisAverage Daily Flow of Light Goods VehiclesAverage Daily Flow of Heavy Goods Vehicles20106,1959141,12620116,1589351,10720126,1149741,10520136,0411,0341,11420146,4361,15995020156,6301,2881,01920166,8281,3911,02720176,8261,4821,056 YearAverage Daily Flow of Buses and CoachesAverage Daily Flow of Two Wheeled Motor VehiclesAverage Daily Flow of All Motor Vehicles2010121778,4332011122768,3982012124748,3902013128788,394201486488,678201584509,070201686529,383201788529,5031 DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others.Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics

Dover Port: Motor Vehicles

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of tourist vehicles that have approached the Port of Dover via the A20 in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.

Jesse Norman: The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow by vehicle type for each major road link in Great Britain. Traffic counts do not establish trip purpose. The table below provides a breakdown of the (a) average daily flow by (b) year since 2010 for all vehicles split by type. The data is provided for the closest major road link on the A20 approaching the Port of Dover (Count Point No. 8107).  Average Daily Flow Estimates of All Motor Vehicles by type at Count Point 8107 on the eastbound A20 – 2010 to 20171YearAverage Daily Flow of Cars and TaxisAverage Daily Flow of Light Goods VehiclesAverage Daily Flow of Heavy Goods Vehicles20107,7871,2441,78120117,7481,2831,74520127,7151,2321,59820137,6711,2461,50820147,8791,3331,30220157,7351,4021,29320167,9661,5141,27620177,9631,6131,310 YearAverage Daily Flow of Buses and CoachesAverage Daily Flow of Two Wheeled Motor VehiclesAverage Daily Flow of All Motor Vehicles20101518711,05020111519211,01920121628310,79020131538310,66220141477910,74020151468110,65620161498410,98920171528511,1231 DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others.Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics

A2: Accidents

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of road accidents on the A2 between the Lydden traffic lights and the Port of Dover in each year since 2010.

Jesse Norman: The number of reported road accidents involving personal injury on the A2 between the Lydden junction and the Port of Dover between 2010 and 2017 is given in the table below. Number of reported road accidents on the A2 (between the Lydden junction and the Port of Dover)1, 2010 to 2017YearNumber of accidents201019201121201216201326201417201517201618201715   Source: DfT Stats191. Includes all the slip roads on and off at each of the junctions.

A2: Road Traffic

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles that have travelled on the A2 between the Lydden traffic lights and the Whitfield roundabout in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.

Jesse Norman: The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow of vehicles for each major road link, for every year in Great Britain. The Department does not produce estimates of the average flow of vehicles per year for each major road link. Traffic is counted at one point on the A2 between the Lydden traffic lights and the Whitfield roundabout at Count Point No. 6015. The table below provides a breakdown of average daily flow of vehicles for Count Point No. 6015 for each year since 2010. Average Daily Flow Estimates of Motor Vehicles at Count Point 6015 on the A2 – 2010 to 2017YearAverage Daily FlowCount Method1201016,717Estimated201116,694Counted201216,652Estimated201316,629Estimated201417,010Estimated201517,732Estimated201618,334Estimated201716,454Counted1DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others. Figures having an estimation method of “Counted” are likely to be more accurate than those marked as “Estimated”.Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics

Channel Ferries: Belgium

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether a ferry route could be re-established between Dover and Zeebrugge; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: In principle a route between Dover and Zeebrugge could certainly be re-established. This is a commercial matter for any prospective ferry operator and the ports concerned.

Taxis: Licensing

Julia Lopez: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a definition of cross border hiring, as recommended by the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV Licensing, to (a) stop drivers operating in an area where they have not been licensed and (b) protect passengers; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: On 12 February the Government issued its response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing. Government agrees with the principle of restricting out-of-area working and will consider further, with a view to legislation, how it might best work in detail. Government will need to consider any flexibilities or exemptions which might be needed to reduce or avoid negative impacts on particular services. The response is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/775983/taxi-task-and-finish-gov-repsonse.pdf

Channel Ferries: Freight

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2019 to Question 210667 on Channel Ferries: Freight, how much money his Department allocated to legal fees in relation to potential court proceedings on the contracts for additional sea ferry capacity.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: No specific contingent allocation was made for legal fees in relation to potential court proceedings.

Bexleyheath Railway Line

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the of the potential effect on the journey time of train services between Victoria and Dartford of those services stopping Clapham High Street station.

Andrew Jones: The Department estimates that each additional stop at Clapham High Street would typically add 3-4 mins journey time to services between Victoria and Dartford.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department took to avoid conflicts of interest in the preparation of the Invitation to Tender for the Southeastern franchise.

Andrew Jones: DfT Passenger Services has in place well established Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality (CoIC) Guidance and procedures which are designed to prevent conflicts of interests arising during all franchise competitions, including the Southeastern franchise. Both civil servants and the Department’s external advisors are obliged to comply with the procedures set out in the guidance. The Passenger Services CoIC procedures include a requirement for all individuals, before being party to any aspect of the competition, (including developing the ITT specification) to sign a conflicts of interest and confidentiality declaration confirming that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to that competition. Both civil servants and the Department’s external advisors have an ongoing obligation to declare any conflict of interests that may arise during the franchise letting processes.

British Transport Police: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in the British Transport Police have had annual leave scheduled for April 2019 cancelled.

Andrew Jones: No officials in BTP have had annual leave cancelled in April 2019.

Taxis: Electric Vehicles

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's 5 February 2019 news story, Thousands of green taxis to benefit from new chargepoints, if any of the new chargepoints for green taxis will be located in (a) Barnsley and (b) the Sheffield City Region.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Ultra-Low Emission Taxi Infrastructure Competition, awarded a share of over £6m to 17 local authorities to support the installation of chargepoint infrastructure dedicated to ultra-low emission taxis and private hire vehicles. Sheffield City Council was awarded £487,000 to install 20 chargepoints, in 10 charging units, to be located at seven key locations across Sheffield city area. We expect this to support the introduction of approximately 45 ultra-low emission Hackney Carriages and around 200 ultra-low emission private hire vehicles to the city. The competition was UK wide, and we have been able to fund all projects submitted to the competition in full. We did not receive a bid covering Barnsley.

Heathrow Airport: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of private sector jobs that would be created in Northern Ireland as a result of a successful bid from Northern Ireland under the Heathrow Logistics Hub bidding process.

Jesse Norman: The Government welcomes Heathrow's logistics hubs initiative, for which a number of sites in Northern Ireland have been longlisted as potential locations. The number of jobs created at any particular hub will be a question for Heathrow, subject to its ongoing procurement exercise. Heathrow plans to announce a shortlist of locations in the spring before selecting four final locations later this year. In the meantime, Hon Members may wish to engage directly with the promoters of the potential logistics hubs sites in Northern Ireland to explore their proposals further.

Ramsgate Port: Dredging

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funds have been allocated to the dredging operations at Ramsgate Port.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department has not allocated specific funding for dredging work at Ramsgate.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2019 to Question 219242 how much money (a) has been paid and (b) is waiting to be paid to legal firms or lawyers by (i) HS2 and (ii) his Department in respect of any aspect of High Speed Two  in each of the last five years.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The HS2 budget is £55.7bn and legal costs are included therein.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Companies House: Forms

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) RP02a and (b) RP07 forms Companies House has received in each of the last five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: The table below shows how many (a) RP02A and (b) how many RP07 forms were received in each of the last five years for which figures are available. YearRP02 ReceivedRP07 Received20143,499N/A20154,791N/A20165,1892,96920175,9816,80420185,5918,070 Figures for RP02 include both RP02a and RP02b, as historical statistics are not broken down. However, RP02b forms are estimated to be less than 10% of total number of RP02 forms received. Figures for RP07 began in April 2016, which is when the relevant legislation was implemented.

Companies House: Databases

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many prosecutions have been made in each of the last five years for fraudulent use of an address through Companies House.

Kelly Tolhurst: There have been no prosecutions for fraudulent use of an address through Companies House. The Department is currently considering a broad package of reforms to Companies House and plan to consult on these reforms in due course.

Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate: Training

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what gender awareness training staff at the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate have undertaken in relation to their inspections of employment agencies’ practices; and whether the inspectorate has a gender awareness strategy in place for those inspections.

Kelly Tolhurst: All staff in the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate have to undertake mandatory training on diversity and inclusion, including unconscious bias training. The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has a published enforcement policy statement which details their approach to conducting inspections:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/615442/employment-agency-standards-inspectorate-enforcement-statement.pdf

Brexit

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is drawing up plans for specific sectors to boost the UK economy in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government continues to work towards a deal with the EU. This is very much in the interest of the EU as well as the UK. We are committed to supporting vital industries in any EU exit scenario. Extensive engagement has taken, and is taking, place between Government and industry to communicate actions businesses can take in preparation and to explore the implications of different scenarios on sectors. Our modern Industrial Strategy has set out a long-term approach to ensure that we’re building an economy fit for the future and will help us make the best of our relations with Europe and beyond. This includes a range of measures aimed at increasing investment from the private and public sector, from cutting business taxes, slashing red tape to investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale.

Research: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government’s commitment to increase public investment in research and development by £7 billion by 2021-22 is dependent on the outcome of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Chris Skidmore: The Government committed at Budget 2017 to increase public investment in Research & Development by £7 billion by 2021-22. This is not dependent on the outcome of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Tidal Power: Scotland

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to promote Scotland's tidal energy potential in 2019.

Claire Perry: At the beginning of this month, I met the rt. hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland, the hon. Member Argyll and Bute, and other parliamentary colleagues to discuss industry proposals for developing the wave and tidal energy sectors. Wave and tidal stream projects are eligible to enter the forthcoming Contract for Difference allocation round.

Business: Underpayments

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses his Department has investigated for underpaying staff in the last year.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses have been fined for underpaying staff in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Kelly Tolhurst: Enforcement of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (NMW) is a priority for this Government. HMRC enforce the NMW on behalf of BEIS; in 2018/19 we increased HMRC’s enforcement budget to a record high of £26.3 million. HMRC responds to 100% of worker complaints. In the financial year 2017/18, HMRC closed 2,402 cases and identified £15.6 million in arrears of wages for over 200,000 workers. This is the largest amount of money recovered for the highest number of workers since the NMW came into force. HMRC issued financial penalties in 810 of these cases, with a record total value of just under £14.1 million. Further details are available in the published document below: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/742668/nmw-nlw-enforcement-compliance-report-2018.pdf

Electrical Control Equipment: Housing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has plans to introduce changes to the regulations under the Electricity, Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (ESQCR) and the Distribution Connection and Use of Service Agreement (DCUSA) to enable registered electricians to remove cut out fuses.

Claire Perry: There are no plans to change the Electricity, Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations. Regulation 24 requires the cut-out to be locked or sealed to prevent supply interference by unauthorised persons.The Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement is a multi-party contract between licensed electricity distributors, suppliers and generators in Great Britain concerned with the use of the electricity distribution system. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is not a party to this agreement. The industry regulator, Ofgem, is responsible for approving changes to this agreement.Government and Ofgem have launched a review into the rules that govern our energy system to develop options for improving the codes and their governance. The Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement is in the scope of this review.

Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 217094, what estimate he has made of the cost to the UK Steel industry of preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Richard Harrington: Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. The Government is undertaking extensive engagement with the UK steel sector on EU Exit. Through these conversations, individual companies have informed us of actions they are taking to prepare for all eventualities but such information is clearly commercially sensitive.

Small Businesses

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK moving from 4th to 9th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index on the viability of small businesses.

Kelly Tolhurst: The UK’s 2019 Ease of Doing Business score of 82.65 currently is higher than the average of the OECD high income economies, which is 77.80. The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index ranks the United Kingdom 8 out of 140 countries, and in December 2018 Forbes Magazine nominated the UK as the best country in the world for business out of 161 countries. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are focused on maintaining and improving our first-class business environment. We are cutting corporation tax and reforming Business Rates to link them to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and exempt 655,000 firms all together. We have introduced the new Streamlined Company Registration Service, to ease administrative burdens on new businesses and are exempting small and micro-businesses from regulation where possible and desirable. More widely, we are providing over £5.5 billion of finance to almost 78,000 smaller UK businesses through programmes operated by the Government-owned British Business Bank. We have created the Small Business Commissioner (SBC) with powers to tackle unfair payment practices; in the first year SBC has returned £2.1million to SMEs in payment disputes.

Channel Tunnel and Dover Port: Customs

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has he made of the effect on businesses using the (a) Port of Dover and (b) Channel Tunnel of the reintroduction of customs procedures between the EU and the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: Delivering a negotiated deal with the EU remains the Government's top priority, but it is the job of a responsible government to ensure we are prepared for all scenarios, including no-deal.The Government aims to ensure that movement through ports will continue to be as frictionless as possible in a no-deal scenario, so that the effects on businesses using the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel are minimised. To achieve this, the Government’s no deal roll on-roll off model (which applies at these ports) moves customs processes away from the border. Furthermore, HMRC on 4 February announced transitional simplified procedures (TSP) which will aid businesses using these ports, and the Border Delivery Group is actively engaging with prospective declarants on both sides of the Channel.As the application of additional customs checks by the EU is outside of our control, the Government has undertaken a range of preparatory measures to mitigate potential impacts and ensure that goods can continue to flow into and out of the UK as freely as possible. These include Operation Brock and other traffic management measures in order to manage HGV flows effectively.

Research: Publishing

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether UK Research and Innovation has plans to make an assessment of the effect of its review into Open Access policy on (a) UK researchers and (b) overseas researchers seeking to work in the UK.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential risk to the UK of  progressing Open Access in advance of other international research in (a) the US and (b) China.

Chris Skidmore: Open Access is central to the Government’s and UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) ambitions for research and innovation, with openness being key to world class research and delivering the wider aims of the Industrial Strategy, including the ambition to raise total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. Sharing knowledge openly has benefits not only for researchers, but also businesses and wider society by accelerating new discoveries.The UK is among the world’s top research nations, with a world-leading research and innovation base for attracting and retaining researchers. As set out in the UKRI Strategic Prospectus, “talent” and “open research” are two key foundations for excellent research and innovation. Throughout the Open Access Review UKRI will be engaging and consulting with the sector and a range of relevant stakeholders, including researchers, to understand the effects of its Open Access policy. Transitioning towards Open Access is the direction of travel taken by all leading research nations, and UKRI will be taking an evidence-based approach, and will consider the international context in its Review to help ensure that the UK remains a top destination for global researchers.The UK’s substantial commitment to Open Access over the past years has resulted in it being at the forefront of the global movement to Open Access. This has benefited the UK, for example through increased levels of international collaboration as set out in the “Ascent of Open Access” report from Digital Science (available at https://www.digital-science.com/blog/news/the-ascent-of-open-access-report/). International collaboration is essential to ensure that the UK maintains its world leading position in research and innovation, and to bring benefit to the society and economy of the UK. Other advantages of Open Access, such as increased citation, are evidenced in the STM Report “An overview of scientific and scholarly publishing” (available at https://www.stm-assoc.org/2018_10_04_STM_Report_2018.pdf).All leading research nations, including the US and China, have signalled their intent to move towards Open Access (Nature, December 2018 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07659-5). The international open access collaboration, Plan S, is led by Science Europe but includes international engagement beyond Europe.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which EU agencies his Department plans to seek continued membership of after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Following our exit from the European Union, we are committed to maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with the EU. The Political Declaration set out that the UK and the EU will explore the possibility of cooperation of United Kingdom authorities with Union agencies such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and the European Safety Agency (EASA).Our future partnership is a matter for the next phase of negotiations, and so the exact form of this cooperation will be set out as part of those negotiations. We look forward to constructive discussions with the EU.

Post Offices: Closures

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) Post Office and (b) Crown Post Office closures on the local economy in England and Wales.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. The management of the Post Office network is an operational matter for the Post Office Limited who are responsible for maintaining the network of branches and achieving the accessibility criteria set by Government. The Post Office does not have a branch closure programme, rather they are franchising branches to ensure services remain in communities and are actively looking for areas of the country where there is a demand for Post Office services, with over 350 local branches opened since April 2017 in new locations. Branches can sometimes close for reasons beyond the Post Office’s control and when this happens the Post Office seeks to restore services for the communities affected.

Asda: Sainsbury's

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that employees' views are taken into account during the extension of the inquiry by the Competition and Markets Authority into the merger of Sainsbury’s and Asda.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



Mergers are considered by the independent Competition and Markets Authority under the Enterprise Act 2002.

Competition and Markets Authority: Trade Unions

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the role and function of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to (a) include consultation with trade unions on proposed mergers or takeovers, (b) permanent trade union representation on the CMA and (c) conduct a review of UK takeover laws to consider the effect on and interests of workers.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



Mergers are considered by the independent Competition and Markets Authority under the Enterprise Act 2002. The Government keeps the law on mergers under constant review.

Offshore Industry: Shipping

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to prevent blacklisting of UK seafarers working in the North Sea oil and gas supply chain.

Kelly Tolhurst: Blacklisting is completely unacceptable and has no place in modern employment relations. The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 made it unlawful for an individual or organisation to compile, sell or make use of a blacklist of trade union members or those who have taken part in trade union activities. Any individual or trade union who believes they have been the victim of blacklisting can enforce their rights under the regulations through an employment tribunal or the county court. The 2010 blacklisting regulations are reinforced by powers in the Data Protection Act 2018, protecting use of personal data, including information on trade union membership and sensitive personal data. The Information Commissioner’s Office regulates use of personal data and investigates breaches of the Data Protection Act 2018. It has the power to take enforcement action, including searching premises, issuing enforcement notices and imposing fines for serious breaches. The Information Commissioner will shortly open a call for evidence on the implications of modern employment practices in recruitment and selection, and the obligations of employers. If blacklisting is occurring, it should bring it to light. There’s no need to wait for that enquiry to begin however, anyone with evidence should present it to the Information Commissioner’s Office now.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Salisbury

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the criteria were for the Government decision to allocate the city of Salisbury a ministerial champion in his Department.

Kelly Tolhurst: The unprecedented nerve agent attack in Salisbury and subsequent incident in Amesbury was an act of aggression on UK soil, with the hazardous agent involved resulting in the contamination of multiple sites across Salisbury and Amesbury and the tragic death of Dawn Sturgess. The attack has resulted in an estimated loss of over 1 million visits to Salisbury which is a key tourist attraction in the region, and a potential loss to the local economy of £56 million. With the imminent completion of decontamination activity, the Department has agreed with Defra, Cabinet Office and other key partners that the focus should now move towards building confidence and long-term economic recovery. In recognition of these unprecedented events, my noble Friend the rt. hon. the Lord Henley in his role as Local Growth Champion for Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which includes the boundaries of Salisbury and Amesbury has agreed to act as the ongoing single Ministerial point of contact within Government for the leaders of Wilshire Council so that they may continue to raise any legacy issues arising at a political level.

Pay

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216363 on Pay, for what reason his Department does not hold estimates of the total value of wages unlawfully unpaid in the last year.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216363 on Pay, whether his Department has estimated the value of wages unlawfully unpaid for any periods of time.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



The Government does not hold estimates of the total value of wages unlawfully unpaid. The enforcement of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (NMW) is a top priority for the Government; we have increased HMRC’s enforcement budget to a record high of £26.3 million for 2018-19. The position of Director of Labour Market Enforcement was created in 2017 with an obligation to assess the scale and nature of labour market non-compliance. The Director draws upon a wide range of information and intelligence, including the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The Director utilises this intelligence to identify future labour market enforcement priorities for the HM Revenue and Customs Minimum Wage team, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. The Director’s Labour Market Enforcement Strategy for 2018 to 2019 can be found below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-enforcement-strategy-2018-to-2019. The recommendations set out within the strategy were overwhelmingly adopted by the Government in December 2018.

Zero Hours Contracts

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to end the use of zero hour contracts.

Kelly Tolhurst: Both the Government and independent research have identified that zero hours contracts are beneficial for the labour market as they allow flexibility for both employers and individuals. The latest figures show that only 2.4% of the UK’s workforce are on a zero hours contracts because, for that small proportion, that may be the right contract for them. In the Review of Modern Working Practices, Matthew Taylor said that banning zero hours contracts altogether “would negatively impact many more people than it helped". We agree with his assessment and have committed to bring forward legislation to introduce the right to request a more predictable and stable contract for all workers, including those on zero hours contracts. This will allow individuals and businesses to strike the right balance between flexibility and job security.

Medicine: Research

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to support medical research and development in (a) Queens University Belfast Medical Research Centre and (b) other universities.

Chris Skidmore: The Government has acknowledged the importance of investment in medical research to the continued health of the UK and to the continued excellence of our healthcare system. The Government’s commitment to this is laid out in the Industrial Strategy and the life science sector deal.UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) supports medical research through the Medical Research Council (MRC) which currently has 1,994 active grants to Universities throughout the UK with a total value of over £1.7bn.In addition to this UKRI, through its other councils, has 615 active grants to universities with a value of over £523m that support research relevant to medical and healthcare fields. Within this, Queens University Belfast currently holds 30 MRC grants and 9 grants from across UKRI’s other councils with a total value of £18.5m.

Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons: Public Records

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2019 to Question 208938 on Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons: Public Records, what the titles are of the records that have been withdrawn.

Richard Harrington: It is not possible to provide the titles for all of the records that have been placed under review, as there are in excess of 80,000. The entire Atomic Branch collection of public records have been temporarily withdrawn from open access while the Atomic Weapons Establishment and Ministry of Defence perform a review. It is expected that the majority of records will be returned to open access.

Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons: Public Records

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2019 to Question 208938 on Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons: Public Records, for what reason the review was initiated.

Richard Harrington: Shortly after the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) was established in 2005, many thousands of public records dating from the nuclear industry’s earliest days were transferred to its ownership from a range of sources, including the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) which was established in 1954 and was responsible for the UK's entire nuclear programme. The NDA is responsible for safeguarding this, and other collections, as well as ensuring compliance with legislation on public accessibility and security. The NDA, Ministry of Defence and the Atomic Weapons Establishment are jointly undertaking a security review to ensure that it is appropriate for the records to remain in the public domain. As part of the review process, a collection of records (including many relating to the early development of military and civil nuclear technology) has been temporarily withdrawn from general access via The National Archive at Kew.During the review period, requests for the documents are being handled through the freedom of information inquiry route. Once the review is complete, it is anticipated that public access will be restored to the vast majority of the documents.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the automotive sector on the effect on that sector of no new import tariffs being imposed in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Richard Harrington: BEIS Ministers and officials regularly meet with the automotive industry, including through bilaterals with manufacturers, via interactions with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and through BEIS’s participation in the Automotive Council.Leaving the EU with a deal that supports the future of British industry remains the government’s top priority. As set out in the Political Declaration, the UK and the EU have agreed on a free trade area for goods, including automotive. This will combine deep regulatory and customs cooperation with no tariffs and no quotas, underpinned by provisions ensuring open and fair competition. We will continue to make the case for the benefits of free trade.We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for the automotive sector.

Radioactive Waste: Imports

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to monitor the import of nuclear waste to the UK after the UK has left Euratom.

Richard Harrington: Under any exit scenario, shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel will continue to be supervised and controlled by the respective environment agencies of the UK when the UK leaves the EU. The UK will continue to meet its obligations for the reporting of import and export of radioactive waste under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, to which the UK is a Contracting Party, and as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency. In a deal scenario, the Withdrawal Agreement includes an agreement with the EU that provisions of Euratom will continue to apply in the UK during the implementation period until the end of 2020, including the movement of radioactive waste and spent fuel. If a deal is reached, future arrangements in relation to the movement of radioactive waste and spent fuel will be subject to negotiation with the European Union on our future relationship. If the UK does not reach a deal with the EU, the Government has put in place regulations, the Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel (EU Exit) 2019 Regulations, to regulate the shipment of radioactive waste. These Regulations broadly replicate the existing 2008 Regulations of the same name and will apply the current procedures for third countries to EU member states.

Small Businesses: Billing

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Department has made on tackling delays in payments to small and medium sized businesses.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is committed to eliminating the scourge of late payments and bring about cultural change to deliver responsible payment practices. Large UK businesses must report on their payment practices every six months and we have created the Small Business Commissioner to address late payment complaints. In October, BEIS launched a public Call for Evidence to understand the impact of late payment on SMEs and to seek views on how we can go further to tackle the problem. The call for evidence closed on 29 November with nearly 300 responses. We are currently analysing those responses and will publish a response in due course.

Post Offices: Pay

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an estimate of the additional cost to Post Office Ltd. if the rate of remuneration for postmasters in main branches was awarded to postmasters in local branches in 2017-18.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver its strategy and operate as an independent business. Postmasters’ remuneration and management of the branch network are operational matters for Post Office Limited. Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, will write to the Hon Member on these matters. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Working Hours: EU Law

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is his policy to replicate the Working Time Regulations after the UK leaves the EU.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy,  whether it is his policy to replicate the Agency Workers Directive after the UK leaves the EU.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



Employment law which derives from the EU is implemented in the UK, in statute if necessary. This includes the Agency Workers Directive and the Working Time Directive, which have been transposed into UK law. There is therefore no need to replicate them after the UK leaves the EU. We have committed not to roll back workers’ rights and that commitment includes the protections provided for by the Working Time Directive and the Agency Workers Directive. We also recently laid the Agency Workers (Amendment) Regulations 2019 which if passed will increase protections for agency workers on pay between assignment contracts.

Innovation and Science

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2018 to Question 203356 on Innovation and Science, and a subsequent Answer of 4 February 2019 to Question 214098, what steps are required to be taken before that report can be published.

Chris Skidmore: Officials are currently working to arrange publication of the Wave 3 Science and Innovation reports and expect an announcement to be made in due course.

Companies House: Enforcement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216281, how many times Companies House write to a company to remind them of their obligations before further enforcement action is taken.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Bullying

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent Civil Service People Survey.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of state aid allocated to (a) Nissan and (b) other car manufacturers since 2010.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress has been made on his Department’s preparations for the UK leaving the EU.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many civil servants in his Department are working on each workstream on the UK leaving the EU.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Horizon 2020: Finance

Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the funding that will be made available for the Horizon2020 underwrite in the event that UK leaves the EU without a deal is new, additional funding and will not affect existing science budgets.

Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the funding that will be made available for the Horizon2020 underwrite will be guaranteed in pounds or Euros.

Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is for the distribution of funds under the Horizon2020 underwrite.

Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Horizon2020 underwrite applies to all elements of Horizon2020 including KIC/EIT funding.

Chris Skidmore: The Government’s priority remains agreeing a deal with the EU. A ratified deal based on the provisions set out in the proposed Withdrawal Agreement would ensure that UK participants could continue to receive EU funding from EU Programmes committed under the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework for the lifetime of these projects. Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation funding Programme, is one such Programme.At Spending Review 2015, the Government protected science funding, committing to invest £26.3 billion between 2016-21, and has since committed to an additional £7 billion by 2021-22 – the largest increase for 40 years. If we leave the EU without a deal in place, the underwrite guarantee and extension are Government commitments to provide funding required for the UK to participate in Horizon 2020 until the end of 2020 and for the lifetime of projects. In this scenario, HM Treasury will provide additional funding on top of existing departmental budgets – further demonstrating the Government’s commitment to the UK’s world-class research base.Underwrite funding will be paid to UK beneficiaries in pounds sterling. BEIS continues to work closely with UKRI to ensure that all necessary systems are in place to deliver the underwrite guarantee and extension by exit day. The Government will be providing further guidance for stakeholders on underwrite delivery mechanisms in due course.The Government has been clear that the underwrite guarantee and extension will cover all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 submitted before the end of 2020. This includes partnerships such as the EIT KICs.

Horizon 2020: Finance

Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) UKRI and (b) the European Commission will be responsible for evaluating UK bids for funding streams that are not open to third country participation for bids submitted prior to 29 March in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Chris Skidmore: The Government’s priority remains agreeing a deal with the EU. A ratified deal based on the provisions set out in the proposed Withdrawal Agreement would ensure that UK participants would continue to receive EU funding from EU Programmes committed under the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework for the lifetime of their projects. Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation funding programme, is one such programme. Until exit, the UK remains a Member State participant in Horizon 2020, with all the rights and responsibilities of a Member State. This means that until point of exit the UK will be eligible to bid to all aspects of Horizon 2020. We welcome discussions with the European Commission on the details of continued UK participation in EU programmes after exit at the earliest opportunity; these discussions would need to include consideration of the implication of the UK’s change in status from a Member State to a third country if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. In a no deal scenario, the UK government has committed to fund all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 submitted before exit day. In July this guarantee was extended. The post-EU exit extension to the guarantee is a commitment to fund all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 calls open to third country participation from the date of exit until the end of 2020. Both the guarantee and extension will apply for the lifetime of qualifying projects We are conscious that third country participation does not extend to some Horizon 2020 calls. We continue to work with UKRI and stakeholders to identify appropriate measures that could be put in place in the period immediately after EU Exit, if necessary.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Tourism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on increasing the number of UK tourists to that country.

Alistair Burt: Numbers of UK tourists to Egypt continue to increase – last year an estimated 415,000 British citizens visited Egypt compared to 319,000 in 2017. Ministers and officials have discussed the increasing number of UK tourists to Egypt with counterparts and we continue to work in partnership with the Egyptian authorities to mitigate risks to travellers' safety and security.

Macedonia: NATO

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the UK will ratify the Republic of North Macedonia's accession to NATO; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: We welcome the signature of the NATO Accession Protocol for Macedonia, which took place on 6 February in Brussels. We will shortly be taking forward the procedure for UK ratification. This will involve laying the Accession Protocol before Parliament for 21 sitting days' scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Once this process is complete, and provided there are no objections, the UK can proceed to the next stage by depositing its instrument of ratification. I will make a formal written statement to Parliament regarding the new constitutional name - the Republic of North Macedonia.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

Sir Alan Duncan: Authority to enter into contracts is devolved to directorates and departments within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London as well as the global network of overseas missions. To provide the requested data would incur disproportionate cost.

Armed Conflict: Children

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what programmes his Department (a) promotes and (b) funds to rehabilitate and reintegrate former child soldiers into their communities.

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office , what funding his Department has allocated to programmes to prevent the recruitment of children by armed forces and groups.

Mark Field: ​The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. We apply diplomatic pressure to listed governments and armed groups, and fund projects to help protect and rehabilitate vulnerable children. We also press for the inclusion of child protection in peacekeeping responses through UN mandate renewals and resolutions.The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces. The UK has confirmed that it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate, and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.In 2018, the UK endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to reduce the impact of conflict on education, and the Vancouver Principles, a political commitment to ensure that child protection and preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups are operational priorities during the conduct of United Nations peace operations. As a member of the Group of Friends of CAAC in Geneva, we also participated in a joint statement to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2018, in which we reiterated our strong support for the mandate of the SRSG for CAAC. We worked very closely with Sweden and others to agree Resolution 2427 adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2018, to strengthen protection mechanisms for children in armed conflict.

Central African Republic: Armed Conflict

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the recruitment of children by (a) armed forces and (b) groups in the Central African Republic.

Mark Field: ​The UK recognises the recruitment of children by armed groups is a significant problem in the Central African Republic (CAR). Partners of the Department for International Development (DFID) based in CAR integrate child protection principles throughout all programmes, ensuring that the dignity and safety of children is paramount in all services. We were the fourth largest donor to the CAR Humanitarian Response in 2018 and the largest donor to the CAR Humanitarian Fund. Through the CAR Humanitarian Fund, 59,318 (16,000 DFID attributable) girls and boys were supported with protection focussed activities, including 11,420 (3,083 DFID attributable) children with identification, documentation, tracing and reunification support. 31,309 (8,453 DFID attributable) children also benefitted from psychological support activities, protection mechanism and life-saving message training while 176 teachers and parents were trained on psychosocial support.UNICEF has reported that since 2014 approximately 13,000 children have been released from armed groups in CAR. The UK is also funding War Child UK to reach conflict-affected boys and girls in CAR and help them to receive education and psychosocial support, integral services for facilitating recruitment prevention. Through our humanitarian partners in CAR, we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground to prevent more children from being recruited into armed groups.

Armed Conflict: Children

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what assessment his Department has made on the effectiveness of steps by the international community to reintegrate and rehabilitate children previously recruited by armed forces and groups.

Mark Field: The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.To mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day), the UK took part in an UN Security Council (UNSC) Arria meeting on protecting children in shrinking humanitarian spaces. The UK called for better integration of the Children and Armed Conflict portfolio into UNSC country specific discussions and for all states to sign up to the key international commitments traversing this CAAC portfolio: the Paris Principles, the Vancouver Principles and the Safe Schools Declaration. The UK also highlighted the importance of mainstreaming child protection in peacekeeping missions and the need to consider whether denial of humanitarian access should be a violation which triggers a listing in the Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC. Sharing experiences on UK engagement on the CAAC agenda with other states serves to open up the humanitarian space and understand how collaborative engagement can strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon also met youth participants in the newly launched World Vision campaign 'It takes a World…to end violence against children' to discuss their views and recommendations for the UK government regarding children in armed forces and groups, including how the UK can galvanise the international community to better support this agenda.The UK can see a strong case in principle for re-galvanising our approach to reintegration and remains committed to supporting the valuable work of the SRSG's office in this respect. The UK has shown its support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups and sharing best practice and lesson learnt with key member states. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces. The UK has confirmed that it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Brexit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which EU agencies his Department plans to seek continued membership of after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: During the Implementation Period, the terms of the UK's participation in EU agencies and bodies will be as set out in Article 128 of the Withdrawal Agreement.Following our exit from the European Union, we are committed to maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with the EU. Our future partnership is a matter for the next phase of negotiations and we look forward to constructive discussions with the EU.

Batteries: Manufacturing Industries

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) social and (b) environmental effect on the (i) Democratic Republic of Congo and (ii) other similar countries of increasing demand for (A) cobalt, (B) lithium and (C) other elements in battery manufacture.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to address the problems associated with mining and conflict minerals. This includes through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for diamonds; the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights around mines; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for the responsible sourcing of minerals; and the Modern Slavery Act.Both the UK and The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are members of the Extractives International Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI is the global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and minerals, which sets out what information on extractives should be publicly available. The DRC is making progress with timely disclosure of this information.Increased demand for minerals, including cobalt and lithium, has seen many people in the DRC take to working as artisanal miners to earn a living, often illegally. Working conditions are frequently unsafe and exploitative. Reports of widespread child labour are of particular concern. The mining industry is better regulated in Zambia and companies accused of abuses have faced legal action. The UK is funding projects on the prevention of child labour in artisanal mines and on remediation work for victims of slavery in the extractive sector.Pollution caused by mining activity has led to environmental degradation and resource depletion across Africa. Illegally mined minerals are frequently smuggled out of the DRC to neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi. Environmental accountability is difficult to enforce upon these illegal operations.

East Africa: Diplomatic Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to improve diplomatic relations with the nations that make up the East African Community.

Harriett Baldwin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office attaches great importance to the countries of the East African Community. We are clear that our approach must rest on modern partnerships of equals, built on shared interests and common goals. As we strengthen our Africa network we will deploy more staff to the region to help deepen our partnership with those countries.

Priyanka Fernando

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role of his Department played in the departure of Brigadier Priyanka Fernando from the UK.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Sri Lankan High Commission on the conduct of Brigadier Priyanka Fernando since 21 January 2019.

Mark Field: We were deeply concerned by the incident involving the Sri Lankan Defence Attaché last year and made immediate representations to the Sri Lankan Government. I called Foreign Minister Marapana on 8 February 2018 about the matter to raise his concerns. The Defence Attaché was recalled by his Government soon after.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which is not a party to the legal proceedings referred to, was contacted by Westminster Magistrate's Court seeking clarification of the Brigadier's diplomatic status in the UK at the time of the incident. The FCO has provided documentation to assist the court.The UK is committed to upholding the rule of law including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka met the Permanent Secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 January, at the Permanent Secretary's request. At this meeting the Permanent Secretary communicated his government's view that the Brigadier enjoyed diplomatic immunity at the time of the incident. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK met the Head of South Asia Department, FCO, on 1 February to discuss a range of bilateral issues. He confirmed that the FCO was not party to the legal proceedings, but had offered clarification of the Brigadier's diplomatic status at the request of the court.

Ukraine: Politics and Government

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the current levels of political stability in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK remains concerned over persistent attempts by Russia to undermine political stability in Ukraine. Russia's malign intent is evident in their support for separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, the detention and mistreatment of civilians in Crimea, the recent firing on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea and their growing economic stranglehold on the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk. This is reinforced by Russian disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks designed to create a false narrative of Ukraine as a failing state.The reality is that Ukraine has made enormous progress towards realising its potential as a fully democratic, modern and prosperous state. The UK is providing substantial assistance to strengthen Ukraine's democracy and institutions as part of its reform programme. This includes specific support to help Ukraine counter potential outside interference in presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019. The best answer to malign Russian activity remains a well-functioning, democratic and stable Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia: Diplomatic Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK’s diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK and Saudi Arabia have a longstanding bilateral relationship based on a number of pillars including defence; security; trade and investment; shared concerns about regional issues and energy security.​

Italy: Asylum

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has held with his (a) Italian counterpart and (b) EU counterparts on the Italian government's asylum policy.

Sir Alan Duncan: As part of our bilateral relationship with Italy we regularly discuss asylum policy at Ministerial and official level. The UK Government continues to discuss the issue of asylum with the EU.

Cuba: Human Rights

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has given to HRH the Prince of Wales on raising human rights abuses in Cuba with representatives of the Cuban Government on his forthcoming visit to that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK government regularly raises human rights issues as part of our dialogue with the Cuban government. We believe the best way to encourage progress on human rights in Cuba is through dialogue and practical diplomacy, which is best enabled through engagement. This is reflected in our policy of engagement with Cuba, in which TRHs' trip will play an important role.

Cabinet Office

Brexit

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) civil servants and (b) Government ministers are employed on plans to support economic growth in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Oliver Dowden: The Government as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit Implementation is carried out to a high quality. This includes planning for a range of scenarios, and all Government departments have been involved in no deal planning. However, the percentage of time and personnel spent on exiting the EU without a deal - or specific activities related to this - is not recorded or easily accessible.

Brexit: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) civil servants and (b) Ministers that are working on plans to strengthen the Welsh economy in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Oliver Dowden: The Government as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit Implementation is carried out to a high quality. This includes planning for a range of scenarios, and all Government departments have been involved in no deal planning. However, the percentage of time and personnel spent on exiting the EU without a deal - or specific activities related to this - is not recorded or easily accessible.

Balance of Trade

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the balance of trade for Standard Industrial Classification groups (a) J.58.1, (b) J.58.2, (c) J.60, (d) J.62, (e) M.72 and (f) R.90 in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 145.95 KB)

Drugs: Balance of Trade

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the balance of trade for Standard Industrial Classification group 21 relating to the manufacture of basic pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical preparations in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 145.95 KB)

Military Decorations

Ian Blackford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, will the medal submissions previously submitted to the 2012 Medal Review be automatically reconsidered by the new Advisory Military Sub-Committee of the Honours and Decorations Committee without having to be resubmitted.

Chloe Smith: The process for assessing historic medals claims will be a matter for the independant Advisory Military Sub-Committee and will be announced by the Cabinet Office in due course.

Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals: Public Appointments

Ian Blackford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who has been appointed as the new Independent Chairperson of the Advisory Military Sub-Committee of the Honours and Decorations Committee.

Chloe Smith: Dr Charles Winstanley TD DL has been appointed as the independant Chair of the Advisory Military Sub-Committee, following a public appointments process. Independant members will be appointed shortly.

House of Commons: Bullying

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent Civil Service People Survey.

Chloe Smith: The most recent Civil Service People Survey took place 1-31 October 2018. High level results by organisation were published last December on gov.uk. Each spring the Cabinet Office conducts and publishes a range of further analysis on the People Survey responses, including the results by gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and health status. Similar analysis will be conducted again this year and made available on gov.uk. A copy of the 2017 People Survey table has been placed in the House Library.

Government Departments: Billing

Marion Fellows: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2019 to Question 213413 on Government Departments: Billing, what proportion of undisputed invoices from SMEs were paid within five days by each Government Department in 2018.

Oliver Dowden: The information is not held centrally. Departments are required to publish this information quarterly on Gov.UK.

Government Departments: Billing

Marion Fellows: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2019 to Question 213413 on Government Departments: Billing, how much money (a) was and (b) was not paid to SMEs within five days by each Government Department in 2018.

Oliver Dowden: The information is not held centrally. Departments are required to publish this information quarterly on Gov.UK.

Government Departments: Billing

Marion Fellows: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2019 to Question 213413 on Government Departments: Billing, how many undisputed invoices from SMEs were paid within five days for each government department in 2018.

Oliver Dowden: The information is not held centrally. Departments are required to publish this information quarterly on Gov.UK.

Government Departments: Procurement

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many suppliers have been excluded from bidding for contracts due to their not meeting the criteria specified in Procurement Policy Note 03/14 in each Department in each year since 2014.

Oliver Dowden: This information is not held centrally.

European Parliament: Elections

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 2004 as amended by the European Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Regulations 2009 remain in force.

Chloe Smith: The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“the 2018 Act”) repeals the underlying pieces of legislation providing for the holding of European Parliamentary elections. As the UK will cease to be a member of the European Union on 29th March 2019, we will not be taking part in future European Parliamentary elections, including those scheduled to be held from 23rd to 26th May 2019.The European Parliamentary Elections Etc. (Repeal, Revocation, Amendment and Saving Provisions) (United Kingdom and Gibraltar) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 were made on 3rd December 2018 under powers in the 2018 Act. These Regulations make further provision as a result of the UK no longer participating in European Parliamentary elections and come into force on the day that the UK leaves the European Union. The European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 2004, as amended by the European Parliamentary (Amendment) Regulations 2009, will be revoked as a result of the provision made by the 2018 Act and by these Regulations.

Elections: Pilot Schemes

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Electoral Integrity Pilots Prospectus 2018, whether his Department has met its provisional timetable for finalising and approving the statutory orders for the 2019 electoral pilots; and if his Department will publish those statutory orders.

Chloe Smith: The British public deserves to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is committed to making sure that our electoral system is fit for the future.  Preparations for the 2019 voter ID pilots are on track and the pilot scheme orders are nearing completion. As with the 2018 pilot scheme orders they will be published on GOV.UK. The success of the voter ID pilots in May 2018 proves that voter ID is a reasonable andproportionate measure. A diverse range of local authorities will be taking part in voter ID pilots for the 2019 local elections. The pilots will give us a deeper understanding of how voter ID might work on a wider scale and in different contexts, enabling us to identify what works best for voters.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Departments employ apprentices.

Oliver Dowden: All departments directly employ apprentices.

Elections: Pilot Schemes

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Electoral Integrity Pilots Prospectus 2018, whether his Department produced templates for developing equality impact assessments to ensure consistency across all local authorities participating in the 2019 electoral pilots; and what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential effect on protected groups in the design and delivery of the pilots.

Chloe Smith: The British public deserves to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is committed to making sure that our electoral system is fit for the future. The success of the voter ID pilots in May last year proves that voter ID is a reasonable and proportionate measure. Based on the public opinion survey of the 2018 pilots there is no indication that the ID requirement impacted the intention to vote for any consistent specific demographic group across the 2018 pilot authorities. The local authorities taking part in the 2019 voter ID pilot scheme are conducting equality impact assessments to ensure that the potential impacts of the scheme on their voters are understood, and that mechanisms to support voters can be put in place where necessary. That work is supported by the Cabinet Office. We take seriously the importance of Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at every stage of policy development and are engaging with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and a broad range of charities and civil society organisations to ensure that the overall policy reflects the needs of all voters in the UK.

Department of Health and Social Care

Patients

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to ensure that every person who has finished hospital-based treatment has access to specific and tailored follow-up support.

Caroline Dinenage: All councils have statutory duties to look after the vulnerable, elderly and disabled people in their area to provide them with support. Support can be specific and tailored in several ways. Personal budgets and personal health budgets, where appropriate, are one such way of providing individuals with personalised follow up support that best meets their care needs. If assessed as eligible, in some cases individuals will receive NHS Continuing Healthcare following discharge from hospital. If an individual is not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, but does need care from a registered nurse within a care home with nursing, then the individual may be eligible for NHS-funded Nursing Care.

Air Pollution: Health Hazards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2019 to Question 213200 on  Air Pollution and with reference to p165 of the World Health Organisation report, Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution – REVIHAAP Project, if his Department will conduct research into PM1 and PM0.1.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2019 to Question 213200 and with reference to page six of the January 2013 report of the Health Effects Institute entitled Understanding the Health Effects of Ambient Ultrafine Particles, if he will implement the recommendations of that report on PM0.1 and PM1.

Steve Brine: Recent assessments have been undertaken of the health effects of long-term exposure to the air pollution mixture in the United Kingdom, but no separate assessments of the impact of PM1 and PM0.1 components (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 1 or 0.1 microns respectively) of particulate air pollution have been produced. Public Health England (PHE) undertakes various air quality research projects, working with academic partners, to review the evidence of the health effects of air pollutants. In particular, regarding the health effects of PM0.1 and PM1, PHE has a research program that looks at various aspects of the health effects of PM0.1 (nanoparticles) through the inhalational route mainly focussed on manufactured materials. However, PHE has no plans to engage in work on the effects of PM1 particles on human health over the coming year.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2019 to Question 215178, if he will list the (a) 17 cancers where no staging data is available and (b) 67 cancers where some of the specific tumour morphologies are unstageable.

Steve Brine: For cancers diagnosed up to, and including 2017, the Tumour, Node, Metastasis (TNM7) classification of Malignant Tumours - 7th edition staging system is used. There are 17 cancer sites which have no staging rules in TNM7. These are listed in the following table. ICD CodeSiteC14Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites in the lip, oral cavity and pharynxC33Malignant neoplasm of tracheaC37Malignant neoplasm of thymusC39Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites in the respiratory system and intrathoracic organsC46Kaposi's sarcomaC70Malignant neoplasm of meningesC71Malignant neoplasm of brainC75Malignant neoplasm of other endocrine glands and related structuresC77Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodesC78Secondary malignant neoplasm of respiratory and digestive organs.C79Secondary malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified sitesC80Malignant neoplasm without specification of siteC88Malignant immunoproliferative diseases and certain other B-cell lymphomasC92Myeloid LeukaemiaC93Monocytic LeukaemiaC95Leukaemia of unspecified cell typeC96Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue This can be viewed on the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) website at the following link: https://www.uicc.org/sites/main/files/private/TNM_Classification_of_Malignant_Tumours_Website_15%20MAy2011.pdf For the 67 cancers where some of the specific tumour morphologies are unstageable, data is not held in the requested format.

Department of Health and Social Care: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department’s contracts register shows that the Department has had the following contracts with these suppliers in the last two years: SupplierContract Value (including VAT)Deloitte – 3 contracts: Contract 1£280,450Contract 2£1,695,000Contract 3£70,000Slaughter and May – 1 contract£3,248,560Mott Macdonald – 1 contract Note: Mott Macdonald act as agents to manage the Fleming Grants Programme Fund, which includes a management fee for these services.£235,000,000

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to people adopting children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Steve Brine: Responsibility for commissioning Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) services lies with clinical commissioning groups working together across all sectors. We know diagnosing FASD is a complex process and we have learnt from recent engagement events with FASD sufferers that diagnostic pathway should be improved. The Department is considering how we can improve access to such services and the diagnostic pathway learning from best practice. We will also ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to consider the recent SIGN 156 guidelines ‘Children and Young People Exposed Prenatally to Alcohol ‘in Scotland to review if this guideline could be applied in England. The Department for Education is the lead Department for adoption. As part of the adoption process potential adopters will be given information known in relation to the child’s health condition and a meeting with a health professional responsible for that child’s care. A care plan will be provided for the child. Both the child and the adoptive parent(s) should have access to local support and services post-adoption to support their child, along with access to the health and care services as part of the local commissioning process. The Government, through the Adoption Support Fund, also provides families who have adopted or are providing special guardianship to children previously in care with access to funding for specialist assessments and therapeutic support. These may include FASD as part of the wider assessment of a child’s needs.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the forthcoming NHS workforce implementation plan will ensure that staffing numbers are at the level needed to achieve the Government’s target to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers at an early stage by 2028.

Steve Brine: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned Baroness Dido Harding, working closely with Sir David Behan, to lead a number of programmes to engage with key National Health Service interests to develop a detailed workforce implementation plan. These programmes will consider detailed proposals to grow the workforce rapidly, including staff working on cancer, consider additional staff and skills required, build a supportive working culture in the NHS and ensure first rate leadership for NHS staff.

Exercise: Children

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the levels of physical activity among primary school children in (a) Bexley Borough, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the levels of physical activity among secondary school children  in (a) Bexley Borough, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the levels of physical activity among adults in (a) Bexley Borough, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: Data for school-age children and young people at local authority level is only available for the 2017/18 academic year. Data split by primary and secondary school age is not available at local authority level. Estimates are published by Sport England, using data from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey. Data for adults using the current Chief Medical Officers’ definition at local authority is only available for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Estimates are published by Public Health England, using data from the Active Lives Adult Survey. The following table shows the estimated percentage of people meeting the aerobic physical activity recommendations among school-age children and adults for Bexley, London and England. Percentage meeting physical activity recommendations Aged 5-16 yearsAged 19 or over years2017/182016/172015/16Bexley Borough15.4%61.5%66.5%London16.8%64.6%65.8%England17.5%66%66.1% Notes:The data for children aged five to 16 years are published by Sport England, using data from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey which is available to view at the following link: https://www.sportengland.org/media/13698/active-lives-children-survey-academic-year-17-18.pdf The data for adults aged over 19 years are only available for the years 2015/16 and 2016/17 using data from the Active Lives Adult Survey. The data is available to view via the links: https://www.sportengland.org/media/13217/v-mass-markets-digital-content-editorial-team-active-lives-march-2018-active-lives-adult-survey-nov-16-17-final.pdf https://www.sportengland.org/media/11498/active-lives-survey-yr-1-report.pdf

Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2019 to Question 213889 on Clinical Commissioning Groups: Harrow, whether he plans to publish the recovery plan for Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group.

Steve Brine: Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group has given NHS England assurance that it intends to publish its financial recovery plan in due course.

Vaccination: Cost Effectiveness

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the recommendations made by the Committee on cost effectiveness methodology for immunisation programmes and procurement, published in February 2018.

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish a response to the consultation the Cost effectiveness methodology for vaccination programmes, published on 26 February 2018.

Steve Brine: The Department is currently considering its response to the Committee on Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement (CEMIPP). The consultation on the CEMIPP report closed on 28 June 2018. The Department is currently considering its response to make sure that rules for immunisation are fair, transparent and justifiable.

Public Health: Social Media

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to tackle public health misinformation on social media platforms.

Steve Brine: The Department ensures that all official information is badged appropriately with the Government crest; National Health Service branding or associated public health campaign branding, to reinforce its credibility. Any misinformation detected is dealt with on a case by case basis depending on the level of impact it could have on public health. We are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on their white paper on Online Harms. The Government Communications Service has also recently published a toolkit ‘RESIST’ to assist government communicators in tackling disinformation which my Department will utilise. These documents can be viewed at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-make-social-media-safer https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/guidance/evaluation/tools-and-resources/

Accident and Emergency Departments: South East

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to achieve the 95 per cent four-hour A&E waiting time in (a) Southampton and (b) the South East.

Stephen Hammond: The University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust has several schemes in place to improve hospital flow and four-hour accident and emergency performance. These schemes include a focus on clinical standardisation, general practitioner streaming, criteria-led discharge and weekend discharges, and front door frailty teams. More widely, steps are being taken to improve performance across the South East region. The national Urgent and Emergency Care Director and CEO of NHS Improvement have agreed a plan which focuses on the five streams that have seen the largest decline between winters to understand the drivers and what support is needed to improve performance. In addition, there will be a specific focus on overall weekend discharges to improve patient flow. NHS England’s ‘Operational and Planning Guidance for 2019/20’ sets out deliverables against key performance areas and the Government expects the National Health Service to deliver these actions in full as key steps towards fully recovering performance against core access standards.

NHS: Safety

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to roll out the Scan4Safety initiative across England.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department provided to Scan4Safety in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.

Stephen Hammond: Funding provided by the Department to Scan4Safety for these financial years is as follows:- 2017-18 - £2.7 million- 2018-19 - £1.2 million (figures only available to end of January 2019)- 2019-20 – No allocated funding Plans to roll out the Scan4Safety initiative across England are currently in development following a decision from ministers to see this implemented in the acute sector. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out his wish to see Scan4Safety taken up by the acute sector in the NHS in his speech at the Royal Society of Medicines on 11 February 2019. The text of the speech can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/i-care-about-tech-because-i-care-about-people

Fractures: Medical Treatments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the estimated cost of recalling patients is following the patient safety alert issued by NHS Improvement on 12 February 2019 on the wrong selection of orthopaedic fracture fixation plates.

Caroline Dinenage: As a response to the patient safety alert, trusts are being asked to review X-rays to identify whether the wrong type of fixation plate has been used. Trusts are required to agree an appropriate clinical plan of care with the patient if the wrong type of plate is identified. We are unable to estimate costs associated with a recall as it not known at this time how many patients have potentially been affected. Neither is it possible to anticipate the details of each of the individual clinical plans of care that might be agreed.

Patients: Personal Property

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2018 to Question 184407 on Patients: Personal Property, if the NHS will put in place additional procedures to ensure the protection of the personal effects of (a) vulnerable inpatients and (b) patients with dementia.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



Guidance has been provided to National Health Service organisations in England on the secure management of all patients' property. This includes the process for documenting patients’ property, transferring patients and discharging patients. Patients should be advised of their rights and responsibilities with respect to property taken onto the NHS organisations premises. In addition to the information provided in the previous answer, NHS England is actively engaged with the Department and other key stakeholders in drafting the user guidance stemming from the Mental Capacity Act (Amendment) Bill. This is likely to contain information on the handling of personal effects for those patients without mental capacity and will be cascaded to all NHS Standard Contract holders once finalised. Further information is available on NHS England’s website at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/safeguarding/our-work/adult-network/  NHS England together with the Department have also published guidance to support implementation of the ‘red bag’ scheme which supports an efficient and safe transfer process from care home to hospital, while also ensuring greater protection for residents’ personal items. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/quick-guide-redbag-hospital-transfer-v1.pdf

Nurses: Apprentices

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the (a) number of places made available through and (b) take-up of places relating to the nursing degree apprenticeship scheme.

Stephen Hammond: The National Health Service has consistently had a strong tradition of employing apprentices. From August 2017 to October 2018, there were 710 Nurse Degree apprenticeship starts and 2,240 Nursing Associate apprenticeship starts. We expect to see increasing numbers of apprentices in the NHS as employers continue to embed the apprenticeship agenda into their long-term workforce plans. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-january-2019 We have developed a complete apprentice pathway from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice in nursing. This will support people from all backgrounds to enter a nursing career in the NHS.

Alzheimer's Disease: Medical Treatments

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much NHS England spent on Alzheimer's treatment in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Caroline Dinenage: Within their 2017/18 accounts, NHS England has no recorded specialised services spend (i.e. services commissioned by NHS England) on treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. NHS England allocates funding to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which commission services on behalf of their local populations. It is for CCGs to decide how best to use the funding allocated to them in line with local healthcare needs and priorities, working with other local commissioners and organisations. The Government is committed to delivering the Challenge on Dementia 2020 to make England the world-leader in dementia care and support, research and awareness by 2020.

Hospitals: Hampshire

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to deliver a new critical treatment hospital for north Hampshire.

Stephen Hammond: A joint meeting of the governing bodies of the North and West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Groups decided in November 2017 not to take forward a proposal for a new critical treatment hospital for north Hampshire, following a detailed review of options. The local health economy is now working in partnership to consider other future service configuration options through their Transforming Care Services Board, informed by the view of local patients and the public.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent Care Quality Commission rating of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Caroline Dinenage: The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) latest inspection rating report of the Trust, published on 7 February, assesses the Trust as ‘Good’ overall. This is an improvement to the previous CQC rating.

Cancer: Counselling

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to ensure that people with cancer are able to access psychological and emotional support.

Steve Brine: By 2021, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access, where appropriate, to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan and health and wellbeing information and support. The needs assessment guides a conversation about the person’s holistic needs (physical, psychosocial, financial and social) in order to identify any concerns, including psychological and emotional.

Medical Treatments

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what process NICE will use to scope for the review of the NICE appraisal methodology; and whether the issue of combination treatments will be considered within scope.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the process of planning how to conduct its scoping of the review of the methods for technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies evaluations. Scoping will involve industry and other relevant stakeholders, including patient organisations. Additional detail and more information will be made available on the NICE website in due course.

Social Services: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 216297, for what reasons the funding allocated to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council for adult social care decreased between 2016-17 and 2017-2018.

Caroline Dinenage: Dedicated adult social care funding streams for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council for 2016-17 and 2017-18 are detailed below: £ million (nominal/cash terms)2016-172017-18ASC support grantN/A1.2Precept (as published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in Local Government Finance Settlement )1.54.0Total improved Better Care FundN/A6.8Total1.512.1 The total allocation of dedicated adult social care funding for Barnsley Metropolitan Council increased by £10.6 million between 2016-17 and 2017-18. Local authorities are locally accountable for the delivery of care and support, and retain significant discretion over how their functions are exercised. Local authority adult social care provision is funded from multiple sources, and it is for councils to decide how best to use their funding to deliver the most impact for the people in their area.

General Practitioners: Oxford

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of GP appointment waiting times in Oxford.

Steve Brine: The proportion of general practitioner (GP) appointments by date and time between booking date and appointment date in Oxford Clinical Commissioning Group for the months November 2017 to December 2018 is presented in the attached table. The data on GP appointments are from a new data collection and are still experimental i.e. the data and collection method are still being refined and improved. NHS Digital’s data on ‘time from booking to appointment’ does not take into consideration that many patients will be appropriately booking ahead as part of the continuity of care they receive for long-term conditions. Other factors that drive the time from a booking to an appointment include appointment availability at the practice, patient availability, the urgency of the appointment and GP advice.



PQ221835 attached table
(Word Document, 14.56 KB)

NHS: Drugs

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of the (a) availability of (i) Lossartin, (ii) Furosemide and (iii) Nicarindil and (b) prices beyond the NHS tariff that community pharmacies have been charged by the suppliers of those products since September 2018.

Steve Brine: The Department is not aware of issues affecting the availability of losartan, furosemide or nicorandil tablets and can confirm that supplies of these three medicines are currently available. We are aware that there was a short-term supply issue affecting furosemide 20mg and 40mg towards the end of 2018 due to manufacturing delays, but this issue has now been resolved and supplies remain available. When community pharmacies cannot purchase a medicine at or below the reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (the representative body of pharmacies), drawing on reports they receive from pharmacy contractors, can request the Department to consider setting a concessionary price. When considering whether to grant a concessionary price, the Department uses market data from suppliers, i.e. manufacturers and wholesalers on prices and stock levels intended for retail pharmacy businesses in England. If granted, a concessionary price applies only to prescriptions dispensed for the month for which it was granted. From September 2018 onwards, the trends for these generic medicines that have been granted concessionary prices can be seen in the attached tables. It should be noted that as concessionary prices for February are still in process, no prices have been published yet. More information on the list of concessionary prices granted for each month can be found at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/drug-tariff/drug-tariff-updates



PQ221587 attached tables
(Word Document, 14.56 KB)

Microbiology

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the use of microbiota assessments in the diagnosis of (a) ME/ CFS and (b) fibromyalgia.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including diagnosis for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Diagnosing both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia can be difficult as there is no specific diagnostic test that can be used, and the symptoms can vary from person to person. Diagnosis is usually made by taking a medical history, checking symptoms and carrying out a physical examination. Other tests may be used to rule out medical conditions with similar symptoms. The NIHR has funded projects on ME/CFS and fibromyalgia totalling £4.3 million in the last five years (£2.5 million for ME/CFS and £1.8 million for fibromyalgia) some of which relate to educating general practitioners about diagnosis.

Pregnancy: Alcoholic Drinks

Bill Esterson: What discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on including awareness-raising of the risks of pre-natal exposure to alcohol in the Government's alcohol strategy.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Through the NHS Maternity Transformation Programme, Public Health England is leading work to raise awareness of the risks of pre-natal exposure to alcohol. A reduction in the proportion of women drinking alcohol during pregnancy has been identified as a public health priority for the five-year programme.

Self-harm and Suicide: Children

Paul Masterton: What steps he is taking to prevent self-harm and suicide among children.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Although suicides among children are relatively rare, I am concerned about increases in suicide and self-harm amongst teenagers. As Suicide Prevention Minister I am personally committed to do whatever we can to prevent suicides in children.We have challenged social media companies to step up and protect children from harmful suicidal and self-harm content and cyberbullying.The NHS long-term plan commits to increasing funding for children and young people’s mental health services which will ensure children can access the right support, including crisis care provision.

General Practitioners: ICT

Royston Smith: What steps he is taking to improve IT systems in GP surgeries.

Matt Hancock: By 2021 we want every patient in England to be able to access GP services digitally, with practices able to offer online or video consultations and clinicians and patients able to securely access crucial, life-saving information in real time. A new GP IT Futures framework will encourage the best technology companies to invest in the NHS.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

David Tredinnick: What recent assessment he has made of the (a) value for money and (b) clinical outcomes of NHS treatments for musculoskeletal conditions.

Caroline Dinenage: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence independently develops evidence based guidance on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of NHS treatment and care, including for musculoskeletal conditions, and recommends treatments that have been shown to improve patient outcomes.

Department for Education

Free School Meals

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has undertaken any recent research into the number of pupils eligible but not registered for free school meals.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has undertaken any recent research into the effect of eligible pupils not registering for free school meals on pupil premium funding for schools.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has undertaken any recent research into the number of pupils eligible but not registered for free school meals in Poole.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Department has undertaken any recent research into the number of pupils eligible but not registered for free school meals in Dorset.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has recently undertaken any research into the effect of eligible pupils not registering for free school meals on pupil premium funding for schools in Poole.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has undertaken recent research into the effect of eligible pupils not registering for free school meals on pupil premium funding for schools for Dorset.

Nadhim Zahawi: The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.A model registration form for paper-based applications.Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals. We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.



Dorset_&_Poole_the_under-_registration_rates
(PDF Document, 97.56 KB)

Schools: Labour Turnover

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information the Government holds on schools’ ability to recruit and retain permanent teaching staff.

Nick Gibb: Information on the number of new entrants to teaching in state funded schools is available in Table 7a of the publication, School Workforce in England, 2017. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017. Information on the retention of newly qualified teachers is available in Table 8 of the above publication. Further information on the retention of newly qualified teachers, including the characteristics and type of teacher training and regional information, is available in the Teachers Analysis Compendium 4 available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/teachers-analysis-compendium-4. In January 2019 the Department launched the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy which outlines 4 key areas for reform and investment. These are creating the right climate for leaders to establish supportive school cultures, transforming support for early career teachers, building a career offer that remains attractive to teachers as their careers and lives develop, and making it easier for great people to become teachers.Designed collaboratively with the sector, the centrepiece of the strategy is the Early Career Framework, which will underpin a fully-funded, two-year package of structured support for all early career teachers linked to the best available research evidence. The strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy.

Teachers

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the total number of (a) full-time teachers required for schools in England to all be fully staffed; and (b) full-time equivalent permanent teachers currently teaching in schools in England.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the number of agency supply teachers used by schools in England for each of the last five years.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff teaching in schools in England who are (a) permanent and (b) supply teachers for each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: There are 451,870 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in service in state funded schools in England as of November 2017. Schools will always have some vacancies, temporarily filled vacancies or staff absences. They use occasional and other supply teachers to meet these demands. These teachers may not be fully reflected within FTE figures as these include only teachers who have a contract of over 28 days duration or, in the case of occasional teachers, are employed by the school on the day data is collected.The Department collects details of teachers working in state funded schools through the annual School Workforce Census. The census does identify those teachers who are employed via a service agreement with an agency but not whether they are a supply teacher.The following table provides the numbers and proportions of FTE teachers by their contract agreement type and the headcount number of occasional teachers in state funded schools in England for November 2013 to 2017:  20132014201520162017CONTRACT TYPE[1] Permanent404,124407,397409,801411,943409,878Fixed term24,52925,97826,00025,32024,133Temporary17,86717,61617,11616,09114,635Service Agreement with an Agency2,4653,2263,2863,1942,751Service Agreement with Local Authority335343245254161Service Agreement with Other Source338394413431291Unknown5164421Total449,663454,969456,865457,236451,870  Head count of occasional teachers[2]13,48414,10513,06412,78311,757  PERCENTAGE Permanent89.989.589.790.190.7Fixed term5.55.75.75.55.3Temporary4.03.93.73.53.2Service Agreement with an Agency0.50.70.70.70.6Service Agreement with a Local Authority0.10.10.10.10.0Service Agreement with another Source0.10.10.10.10.1Unknown0.00.00.00.00.0Total100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0Source: School Workforce CensusThe Department uses the Teacher Supply Model to estimate national postgraduate Initial Teacher Training place requirements for primary and each secondary subject and as part of this, estimates the longer term future demand for teachers in English state-funded schools. The most recently published model is available at the following web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tsm-and-initial-teacher-training-allocations-2019-to-2020 [1] Teachers are recorded for those who have a contract of a least 28 days duration who are in service on the date of the census in November each year. [2] Occasional teachers are a headcount of teachers with a contract of less than 28 days who were in school on the census day in November.

Supply Teachers

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the amount spent by schools in England on agency supply teachers for each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes the amount spent by schools on agency supply teaching staff (as well as costs and receipts from supply teacher insurance) annually for local authority maintained schools, and for academies. Published schools’ Consistent Financial Reporting and Academies’ Accounting Returns are available at the following link: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/Help/DataSources.Data from previous years is also available, for local authority maintained schools from 2010, and for academies from 2012.

Schools: Religion

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he made of the effect on people's access to religiously neutral schools of his policy of funding a new round of religiously selective and voluntary aided schools; and whether prior to forming that policy he estimated the number of (a) people living in areas where the only reasonably accessible state school is faith-based and (b) children who put a faith school as their first choice who are prohibited entry to that school on the basis of faith.

Anne Milton: The voluntary aided (VA) scheme will provide additional good school places where they are needed and where there is demand for a particular type of provision. VA schools may be designated with a religious character or not. The scheme is open to providers of all faiths and none.In deciding which projects to fund, we will take into account the levels of need and parental demand. We will also look at how the school, once open, will be welcoming and address the needs of pupils from all faiths and none, and from different backgrounds and communities. Local authorities have responsibility for deciding whether or not to approve proposals to establish VA schools, and will make such decisions in light of their statutory duty to ensure sufficient schools for their areas.

Teachers: Pay

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2019 to Question 204600 on Teachers: Pay, what representations his Department received on the decision to award the teachers’ pay grant to maintained schools and academies but not sixth form colleges.

Nick Gibb: Since the Teachers’ Pay Grant methodology was published in September 2018, the Department has been contacted by representative organisations, unions, individual colleges, Members of Parliament, and members of the public. These have mainly been through correspondence, but also some meetings with officials and ministers.Further education (FE) and sixth form colleges have a different legal status and relationship to government when compared with schools. They are private institutions, independent of government, and it is for individual employers to agree pay structures, based on local needs. The Department is carefully considering the needs of FE providers, including in relation to funding, in preparation for the next Spending Review.

Education: North of England

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s report, Educating the North, published May 2018, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of education in (a) the North and (b) the Sheffield City Region.

Nadhim Zahawi: Holding answer received on 15 February 2019



My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State welcomed the Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s report, ‘Educating the North’. In response to it, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State wrote to my right hon. Friend, the Member for Harlow and Chair of the Education Committee, on 13 June 2018, detailing the government’s clear plan for improving education and skills in the North. A copy of that letter is available here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/education-in-the-north-inquiry-17-19/publications/.I refer the hon. Member for Barnsley Central to the answer I gave on 11 June 2018 to Questions 140737, 140738, 140739 and to the answer I gave on 18 July 2018 to Questions 162577, 162578. These responses set out further details of the initiatives referred to in that letter.We have launched a school improvement support offer which means schools eligible for support have access to up to 3 days free advice from a national leader of education (NLE). A subset of these schools, judged as 'requires improvement' in their last 2 Ofsted inspections, will have access of up to £16,000 of funded support to address the needs identified by the NLE. In the Sheffield City Region and across the North, a first cohort of schools is currently being offered school improvement support with further eligible schools to be identified later in 2019. In addition, there are 10 projects funded through the Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) where the lead applicant is based in the Sheffield City Region. In total these projects have been awarded over £3 million. These are among the 57 SSIF projects where the lead applicant is based in the Northern Powerhouse area. In total, these projects have been awarded just over £20 million. The complete list of successful applicants is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-school-improvement-fund-successful-applicants/strategic-school-improvement-fund-ssif-successful-applicants.A further cohort of schools in the Sheffield City Region and across the North, identified as facing significant challenges with teacher recruitment and retention, is receiving funded support to address those issues.The department is working closely with the social mobility partnership South Yorkshire Futures, on our shared aims of improving educational outcomes across the Sheffield City Region and has seconded 3 members of staff to support their programme. A link to the programme can be found here: https://southyorkshirefutures.co.uk/syf/?doing_wp_cron=1550062482.9984350204467773437500.5 of the 12 Department for Education-funded Opportunity Areas are in areas of low social mobility across the North, with the aim of improving educational outcomes and life chances for children and young people. Doncaster Opportunity Area is one of those areas and is working closely with South Yorkshire Futures on a number of their interventions. This includes work to improve teacher recruitment and retention in the county through funding newly qualified teacher mentoring and collaborating with the Sheffield City Region on our newly-launched Careers Hub, which aims to improve the quality of careers information, advice and guidance given to young people in the borough.‘Educating the North’ recommended that the Opportunity Areas programme be extended to the North East. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced Opportunity North East in October 2018. The programme brings together North East leaders from education, local government and business to work together to improve outcomes for young people in the region. Through Opportunity North East the department will make a substantial investment in the region, including £12 million for the early roll-out of national reforms to improve support for new teachers, and a further £12 million to tackle the 5 key educational challenges identified for the area. Details of this announcement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-secretary-launches-24-million-programme-for-north-east.

Universities: Property

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has made an estimate of the (a) value of property portfolios owned by universities and (b) revenue universities have derived from property holdings in 2017-18.

Chris Skidmore: English higher education providers are autonomous institutions and their institutional autonomy is protected by the Higher Education and Research Act (2017). Therefore, the government has not made an estimate of the value of property portfolios owned by universities or the revenue universities have derived from property holdings in 2017-2018, because institutions are free to manage their financial affairs. In the new higher education regulatory framework, the Office for Students (OfS) has responsibilities to monitor and assess the financial sustainability of registered providers in England that are publicly funded. Providers that receive grant money are currently subject to terms and conditions that include financial sustainability. The OfS can also use registration conditions to take into account the individual financial circumstances of each registered provider consistently with its regulatory functions.

Special Educational Needs: Transport

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money local authorities have spent on post-16 SEND transport in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



The department publishes a breakdown of local authority spending in the annual local authority and school finance statistical release, found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-local-authority-school-finance-data#local-authority-and-school-finance.This breakdown includes expenditure on home to post-16 provision, including special educational needs and learners with learning difficulties or disabilities transport expenditure for those aged 16-18 and 19-25

Special Educational Needs: Walsall

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department has allocated to Walsall Council to support children with SEND needs in each of the last eight years.

Nadhim Zahawi: Local authorities are required to provide schools with sufficient funds to enable mainstream schools to meet the additional cost of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities, up to the value of £6,000. This funding comes from the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). While authorities will identify a notional SEN budget for each school within the school’s overall budget, that notional budget is not ring-fenced, and schools are expected to manage their overall budget to best meet the need of all their pupils, including pupils with SEN.When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed £6,000, the local authority should also allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess costs. This top-up funding, and all funding for special schools comes from the local authority’s high needs budget. In December 2018, we announced an additional £250 million in high needs funding across the current financial year and the next, bringing Walsall’s total high needs funding to £31.5 million in 2018-19.In 2013, the schools and high needs budgets within the DSG were created. As the DSG includes other budgets such as the early years budget, the department is unable to provide comparable figures before 2013-14. The schools and high needs allocations for Solihull since 2013-14 are as follows: YearSchoolsHigh Needs2013-14£181.5 million£27.3 million2014-15£183.4 million£28.3 million2015-16£191.0 million£28.4 million2016-17£195.0 million£28.8 million2017-18£199.5 million£29.9 million2018-19£204.8 million£31.5 million

Social Mobility: Walsall North

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the £100 million investment through the social mobility action plan, entitled Unlocking talent, fulfilling potential (a) will be and (b) has been allocated to Walsall North to support social mobility in early years education.

Nadhim Zahawi: Information on funding at constituency level is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Walsall local authority currently receives funding for the 2-year-old offer, and take-up is currently at 62%. Walsall has bid for the schools nursery capital fund and is a partner to Wolverhampton’s bid to the early outcomes fund, both of which are currently being assessed. The outcomes will be announced in due course.In addition, the department has commissioned an early years special educational needs and disability (SEND) partnership led by the National Children's Bureau. This project aims to improve the quality of provision for children with SEND in the early years by building the confidence, knowledge and ability of the workforce to identify and support children with SEND. The West Midlands is one of the regions that the National Children’s Bureau will be working with.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the average cost of childcare for children aged between one and two years old in (a) one parent and (b) two parent families.

Nadhim Zahawi: Holding answer received on 18 February 2019



Parents of children aged 0-2 in England that use childcare reported paying an average of £79 per child per week during term-time in 2018. The amounts paid by families vary depending on the amount of childcare used by their child, by the number of children in the family, by childcare provider type used, and by home region. This data is published as annual official statistics from the ‘Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents’.

Special Educational Needs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, of 12 February 2019, Official Report, column 311WH, when he plans to launch his call for evidence on special educational needs.

Nadhim Zahawi: In order to better understand the financial incentives that influence how schools, colleges and councils support children and young people with special educational needs, the Department for Education will be issuing a call for evidence shortly. This will include looking at the first £6,000 schools pay for special educational provision before accessing additional funding from local high needs budgets.

Children: Social Services

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many third-party social work providers have been registered with Ofsted in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Department for Education: Bullying

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent Civil Service People Survey.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children in Care: Ethnic Groups

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked-after children whose ethnicity is any other white background in each year since 2000.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the total number of looked-after children whose ethnicity is Any other white background in each of the last nine years.

Nadhim Zahawi: This information requested is shown in the attached table.Further information on the ethnic breakdown of looked-after children is published in the statistical releases ‘Children looked-after in England including adoption’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.



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Pupils: Self-harm

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's guidance to schools on supporting students affected by self-harm.

Nick Gibb: The Government has taken a range of actions to help schools and colleges to respond to and prevent self-harm. Training for teachers on self-harm is available through MindEd, a free online portal which has been developed with Government funding to provide information on mental health problems to all professionals working with young people. The Government is also funding the offer of mental health awareness training to all schools. From September 2020, Relationships, Sex and Health Education will be compulsory. This will include content on mental health and wellbeing as well as the rules and principles for keeping safe online, how to recognise harmful content and risks. Schools and colleges must also have regard to the statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The Department requires all school and college staff to receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, so they know what to do if they suspect a child is at risk of harm, including self-harm. Guidance to schools cannot be sufficient on its own. Where more serious problems occur, schools and colleges need specialist support. The Government has made available an additional £1.4 billion in England to transform children and young people’s mental health services. The commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan will build on this, including by providing mental health support teams to work directly with schools and colleges, and expanding timely, age appropriate crisis services.

Young People: Unemployment

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the latest statistics on people between 16 and 24 years old who are not in education, employment or training in each local authority area.

Anne Milton: The latest estimates for young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England and the English regions, based on 2018 quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) data, will be published on 28 February 2019 by the department as part of the series and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-neet.However, due to sample size limitations in the LFS data, it is not possible to produce reliable estimates for local authority level geographies.For young people aged 16 to 17, local authorities are required to monitor the extent to which young people are meeting their duty to participate in education or training through the department’s National Client Caseload Information System (NCCIS). Local authority level NEET estimates for England are published annually as transparency data from NCCIS and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-and-participation-local-authority-figures. However, these estimates should be used with caution as the headline NEET measure includes people whose activities are not known in order to incentivise local authorities to track all young people.

Out-of-school Education: Codes of Practice

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page four of his Department's consultation on out-of-school settings: voluntary safeguarding code of practice, launched on 2 December 2018, which 16 local authorities are involved in multi-agency working.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department is working with the following 16 local authorities to explore how different approaches to multi-agency working can be used to enhance and support safeguarding practices in out-of-school settings. Birmingham City CouncilBradford Metropolitan District CouncilCity of WestminsterLondon Borough of Barking and DagenhamLondon Borough of BrentLondon Borough of EalingLondon Borough of HackneyLondon Borough of Hammersmith and FulhamLondon Borough of HaveringLondon Borough of NewhamLondon Borough of RedbridgeLondon Borough of Tower HamletsLondon Borough of Waltham ForestLuton Borough CouncilManchester City CouncilRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Ministry of Justice

Young Offenders: Rehabilitation

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote rehabilitation of young offenders.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 12 February 2019



Our key objective through the youth justice system (YJS) is to reduce offending and reoffending by increasing the life chances of children in touch with the YJS. Over the last ten years we have successfully reduced first time entrants into the YJS by 86% and the number of children in custody has fallen by 70%. However, while these successes are welcome the consequent change in the size and composition of the cohort brings its’ own particular challenges, with the children left in the system generally displaying a more concentrated mix of high-end need. Although the reoffending rate for children in the YJS dropped 1.3 percentage points over the last 12 months, it remains far too high and I am committed to ensuring we continue to work as hard as we can to reduce it further. That is why resettlement is a key priority for the Youth Justice Board and why my Department is undertaking a programme of reform in the youth custodial estate. Over the next two years we will invest over £2m to increase the range of educational, vocational and enrichment activities, including sports and physical activity, available across the estate. We are expanding frontline staffing in public-sector Young Offenders Institutions, and have increased the number of staff in key frontline posts by 27% in the last year. And we are introducing a new Youth Justice Specialist role and providing funding for every Prison Officer in the Youth Custody Service to undertake a foundation degree in youth justice. Over 300 staff are already enrolled on this qualification. We are also investing in the development of Enhanced Support Units to provide specialist psychological support to children with the most complex needs. In addition, we are investing £5m to repurpose the Medway Secure Training Centre (STC) site into the first Secure School. Due to open in late 2020, this new provision will combine the ethos and practice of schools with the structure and support of secure children’s homes. This is a first step towards our future vision for youth custody.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Sefton Central on 5 February 2019 Official Report column 159, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adopting the system of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder courts used in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 12 February 2019



My Department has not previously made an assessment of adopting the system of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder courts used in Manitoba. Courts already make special arrangements for defendants with learning disabilities by adapting the trial process to address their specific communication and other needs. We take this approach for defendants with a variety of special needs; it is generally preferable to specialised courts which create inflexibility in the system, slow down court processes and can negatively impact other court users facing different challenges and vulnerabilities. We are working with NHS England and others to ensure that needs are identified early in the criminal justice process and offenders have access to the right treatment and support once they have been through the courts.

Prison Governors: Hotels

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much HM Prison and Probation Service spent on hotel accommodation for the prison governor and senior leadership team (a) of each prison and (b) in each region in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the amount spent by HM Prison and Probation Service on travel costs for prison governors and their senior leadership team by region and prison for each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the amount of available space for (a) work, (b) education and (c) training in each prison in England and Wales.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many training places are available at each prison in England and Wales.

Edward Argar: This data is maintained at local level and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. Across the prison estate in England and Wales, there are a number of prisons with different predominant functions and various amounts of capacity. Closed training prisons provide a range of facilities for category B or category C prisoners who are serving medium to long-term sentences and offer a variety of activities in prison workshops, gardens, educational courses and offending behaviour programmes. Capacity data is available online which could be used to quantify the total capacity of the training estate. The links below can be used to access function and capacity:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-figures-2019 A list of prisons classified by predominant function can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prisons-and-their-resettlement-providers Our Education and Employment Strategy published in May 2018 sets out our clear intention to ensure that more offenders leave prison with the basic skills that are essential to entering the workplace, and with the skills employers need.

Prisoners' Release

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the median wage of people on Release On Temporary License by each Category D prison in England and Wales.

Edward Argar: The information requested is not collected centrally in the format requested and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Prison Governors

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of tenure is for prison governors in England and Wales.

Edward Argar: We commend our hard working governors, who do a vital job in protecting the public every day. As at 30th September 2018, the average length of service in current post, for prison governors in England and Wales, was 2.6 years.

Community Orders and Prison Sentences

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) community sentence and (b) custodial sentence disposals there were in each year since 1993.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) community and (b) immediate custodial sentences were issued for convictions of violent offences in each year since 1993.

Edward Argar: Data on the number of offenders sentenced for violent offences, and the number of offenders sentenced overall, can be viewed in the table. This data covers the period 1993 – 2017 and is broken down by offenders who were sentenced to immediate custody, and those who received a community sentence.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.03 KB)

Birmingham Prison: Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annex A of the written evidence of the Chief Executive of the HM Prison and Probation Service of 21 December 2018 to the Justice Committee inquiry on HMP Birmingham, what the ratio of operational capacity to full-time equivalent band three prison officers at HMP Birmingham was in (a) December 2016, (b) August 2018 and (c) November 2018.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annex A of the written evidence of the Chief Executive of the HM Prison and Probation Service of 21 December 2018 to the Justice Committee inquiry on HMP Birmingham, what the ratio of operational capacity to full-time equivalent band three prison officers at (a) HMP Birmingham and (b) all listed comparator prisons was in November 2016.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annex A of the written evidence of the Chief Executive of the HM Prison and Probation Service of 21 December 2018 to the Justice Committee inquiry on HMP Birmingham, what the ratio of operational capacity to full-time equivalent band three prison officers at HMP Peterborough was in (a) November 2016, (b) December 2016, (c) August 2018 and (d) November 2018.

Edward Argar: The operational capacity of all prisons in England and Wales is provided monthly as part of the regularly published Prison Population statistics. A breakdown of staffing at various grades by establishment is provided as part of the Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service workforce statistics which are published quarterly. This information can be found at the following links;https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statisticshttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics Privately-run prisons have different grading systems from public sector establishments. The table below displays the number of Prison Custody Officers (PCOs) at HMP Birmingham and HMP Forest Bank that were included as part of the written evidence of the Chief Executive of HMPPS of 21 December 2018. The other figures in the table represent the number of funded PCO posts at HMP Peterborough and for HMP Birmingham. HM Prison and Probation workforce statistics are not published for privately managed prisons. The Ministry of Justice does not hold staffing numbers or specific points in time, and it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine and maintain the number of staff necessary to discharge the requirements of the contract and ensure that staff are sufficiently trained to undertake their duties.  PrisonNov 2016Dec 2016Aug 2018Nov 2018 Birmingham292.47277.87329296.89 Peterborough--333.50333.50 Forest Bank211--- The table below shows full-time equivalent band three prison officers for November 2016 at the comparator listed prisons from the written evidence of the Chief Executive of the HM Prison and Probation Service of 21 December 2018.BullingdonHewellLeedsLiverpool149169175188NottinghamPentonvilleWandsworthWormwood Scrubs160224219209 The following table shows the operational capacity at the requested prisons.PrisonNov 2016Dec 2016Aug 2018Nov 2018 Birmingham1,4759171,2501,028 Bullingdon1,114--- Forest Bank1,460--- Hewell1,279--- Leeds1,212--- Liverpool1,246--- Pentonville1,310--- Peterborough1,3121,3121,2401,240 Wandsworth1,628--- Wormwood Scrubs1,279--- Operators of privately managed prisons are required to deliver sufficient recruitment and training of staff to ensure they maintain a safe, decent and secure prison as per their contractual obligation. The performance of all providers continues to be robustly managed. We will not hesitate to take action if and when standards fall short.

Prison Sentences

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who previously had (a) no, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100 and (i) 101 or more convictions, were convicted in each of the last three years and received an immediate custodial sentence.

Edward Argar: Data on the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody can be viewed in the table. This data covers the period year ending June 2016 – year ending June 2018 and is broken down by offenders who previously had (a) zero, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100, and (i) 101 or more convictions.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.34 KB)

Ministry of Justice: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

Edward Argar: Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on the Government’s Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2019 to Question 211736 on Prison Service: Pay, what estimate he has made of the number of Operational Managers that have incorrectly claimed to be up to date with their Control and Restraint training in each of the last three years.

Lucy Frazer: It is important to note that it is not mandatory for operational manager’s band 7 and above to complete Control and Restraint training. The MoJ does not hold information on the number of operational managers who have claimed to be up to date with their control and restraint training. All managers have a personal responsibility for and an understanding that training must be kept up to date in order to maintain and increase levels of safety. Training levels are also consistently monitored by Governors to ensure that staff are equipped with the required level of training to complete their role in a safe manner, both for themselves and prisoners.

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2019 to Question 211736 on Prison Service: Pay, how many Operational Managers were not up to date with their Control and Restraint training in each of the last three years.

Lucy Frazer: Initial control and restraint training is delivered by HMPPS Learning and Development, thereafter it is the responsibility of the individuals establishment to ensure that refresher training takes place. The information you have requested is recorded at a local level and therefore could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. All managers have a personal responsibility for and an understanding that training must be kept up to date in order to maintain and increase levels of safety. Training levels are also consistently monitored by Governors to ensure that staff are equipped with the required level of training to complete their role in a safe manner, both for themselves and prisoners.

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2019 to Question 211736 on Prison Service: Pay, whether Operational Managers that are not up to date with their Control and Restraint training are entitled to claim the required hours addition allowance.

Lucy Frazer: The payment of Required Hours Addition (RHA) is not linked to any the completion of any training, including control and restraint. RHA is made to recompense for having to work unsocial and predictable working hours, and is automatically paid as a separate salaried element (pensionable) on taking up duty in a qualifying role.

Prisons: Radicalism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce Islamic extremism in prisons.

Lucy Frazer: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) works closely with a range of partners to tackle extremism of all ideologies in prisons. A HMPPS and Home Office Joint Extremism Unit (JEXU) was established in April 2017 to be the strategic centre for all counter terrorism work in prison and probation and have oversight of delivery across the end-to-end offender management process. Prisoners identified as being of extremist concern, or who have shown signs of being vulnerable to extremism, are managed actively as part of a comprehensive case management process. Over 19,500 prison staff have received specialist extremism awareness training, to enable them to identify, report and challenge extremist views. In addition, HMPPS employs multi-faith chaplaincy teams in all prisons, whose role it is to provide support, guidance and to challenge inappropriate behaviour. To further help offenders rehabilitate and disengage from extremism and terrorism, JEXU has rolled out a theological intervention programme. A small group of chaplains are receiving specialised training and ongoing support to lead this important capability. Finally, two Separation Centres have been opened for those individuals whose extremist risk cannot be managed effectively in the mainstream prison population, as a safeguarding measure to protect prisoners from terrorist and extremist influences, and to reduce the ongoing risk they present to national security despite their imprisonment.

Community Rehabilitation Companies and National Probation Service for England and Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the size of the caseload was of the (a) National Probation Service and (b) Community Rehabilitation Company at the (i) end of 2014 and (ii) latest date for which information is available.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics showing the total caseload of the National Probation Service (NPS) and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies. Figures for total probation caseload are published quarterly in the Offender Management Statistics Bulletin, England and Wales https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the announcements on the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officers of the Community Rehabilitation Companies in England and Wales will be published.

Lucy Frazer: The appointment of CRC CEOs is a matter for the individual parent companies and not the Ministry of Justice. All companies are required to register the names of their directors with Companies House.

Prisoners: Hearing Impairment

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many deaf people are currently in prison in (a) England and Wales and (b) the North West of England.

Edward Argar: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Every prison must adhere to the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons. Support is also provided for all prisoners with a disability in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Shoplifting: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of convictions for shoplifting is that a person has received before being given a custodial sentence  .

Lucy Frazer: In the year ending June 2018, the highest number of previous convictions for shoplifting an offender given a custodial sentence for shoplifting had was 28. A custodial sentence includes both immediate custody and suspended sentence orders.

Shoplifting: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of people convicted of shoplifting were given an immediate custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Information on the number of offenders convicted of shoplifting and subsequently sentenced to immediate custody has been published up to December 2017 and is available in the “Outcomes by offence data tool” at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2017 To obtain the requested data, select ’46 Theft from Shops’ in the “Offence” filter. The number of offenders sentenced can be found in row 25, and the number of those sentenced to immediate custody can be found in row 35.

Durham Prison

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 5 of the report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on the unannounced inspection of HMP Durham, published in February 2019, to which prison the modern scanning equipment that staff in HMP Durham noted had been promised was diverted to.

Lucy Frazer: We are taking decisive steps to improve prison security across England and Wales, by investing in additional staff and new technology to prevent, find and seize drugs and other illicit items. I am pleased therefore to confirm that HMP Durham will shortly be in receipt of a new body scanner. The scanner referred to by the Honourable Member was diverted to HMP Nottingham.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for benefit tribunals.

Lucy Frazer: It is important that appeals are heard as quickly as possible. The Ministry of Justice recognises that there are delays in the system and is in the process of recruiting more judicial office holders in order to increase capacity and help to reduce waiting times for appellants. In the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) jurisdiction, 225 new medical members have already been appointed and 119 disability-qualified members have recently been recruited. The SSCS jurisdiction will also benefit from the fact that 250 fee-paid judges and 100 salaried judges are being recruited across tribunals more widely. In addition, we have recently launched a new digital service with a view to enabling speedier processing of appeals and provide a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Information on the new digital service can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision/submit-appeal

Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Training

Jess Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what gender awareness training staff at HMRC have undertaken in relation to their role in enforcing payment of national minimum wage rates; and whether HMRC has a gender awareness strategy in place for implementing that role.

Mel Stride: The government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the NMW receives it. If anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage, they can contact Acas, in confidence, on 0300 123 1100 or submit a query online using the link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints .   Staff across HMRC contribute to enforcing NMW, including lawyers, technical advisers, and those specialising in criminal investigations. All HMRC staff are required to complete mandatory training on Equality & Diversity, with a mandatory requirement for all managers to undertake the training on Unconscious Bias. In addition to these, HMRC has a selection of other gender awareness training courses available, which staff are encouraged to undertake as a part of their continuous professional development. HMRC has a Gender Policy, which provides guidance on implementing all relevant legislative obligations, including the General Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 which applies to public sector organisations.

Economic Growth: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what preparation his Department has done to support the economic growth of Wales in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Elizabeth Truss: Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. That has not changed. We are working closely with the devolved administrations to ensure that we build a stronger and fairer economy for the future, with 193,000 more people in employment in Wales since 2010. At the most recent Budget, the Welsh Government benefitted from a £550 million boost to its budget, a real terms increase up to 2020. The government is investing over £735m in city and growth deals. The government is also supporting the Welsh economy by cutting corporation tax to 17% in 2020, abolishing tolls on the Severn Crossings and investing in Wales’s infrastructure. This will support the Welsh economy to grow and create jobs, supporting hard-working people with greater prospects and living standards as we leave the EU.

Treasury: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May, and (c) Mott MacDonald in the last two years.

Robert Jenrick: Details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. ​Contracts published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: ​https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Radio Frequencies

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the total commercial value of licensed but undeployed radio spectrum designated for 4G services in (a) Wales and (b) the UK.

Elizabeth Truss: Spectrum for 4G mobile services is licensed by Ofcom and paid for by Mobile Network Operators on a national basis, and decisions on deploying 4G services remain a commercial matter for Mobile Network Operators.

M20: Road Traffic Control

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of implementing Operation Brock on the (a) UK economy, (b) economy in Kent and (c) the financial viability of the road haulage industry; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Transport, Highways England and local partners developed Operation Brock to keep Kent’s road network moving in the event of disruption on the Channel Straits. The cost of disruption to residents, businesses and the local community can be substantial primarily reflecting the economic cost of goods being unable to cross the border. Operation Brock consists of three phases: a contraflow queuing system on the M20, holding areas at Manston Airport and, if necessary, on the M26. These measures are intended to provide the resilience and flexibility required to deal with any disruption to cross-Channel travel from Kent ports from March 2019 and beyond. Keeping key strategic roads open in Kent will help minimise the cost of disruption to the UK economy, local community and road haulage industry. The road haulage industry and local stakeholders have been fully engaged in discussions with the Department for Transport.

Large Goods Vehicles: Excise Duties

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he make an assessment of the effect on the UK road haulage industry in the event that fuel duty was reduced to the (a) level in France, (b) level in Germany and (c) EU27 average; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the effect on inflation of a reduction in fuel duty to the (a) level in France, (b) level in Germany and (c) EU27 average; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of trends in the level of UK fuel duty on competition between UK based hauliers and hauliers based in the European Union.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with representatives of the road freight industry on the introduction of an essential user rebate on fuel duty for that industry.

Robert Jenrick: To support the haulage industry, the government will freeze both fuel duty and HGV VED for a further year from April 2019. As a result of the nine years of fuel duty freezes, by April 2020, the average HGV driver will have saved a cumulative £23,300 compared with the pre-2010 escalator. Fuel duty and its broader impacts on business and the economy remain under review. However, cuts in fuel duty come at a high cost to the Exchequer and do not necessarily offset pump price volatilities such as oil prices and exchange rates. Both ministers and officials meet regularly with the road freight industry to discuss a wide range of issues, including taxation and cross-border competition.

Treasury: Brexit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which EU agencies his Department plans to seek continued membership of after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: During the Implementation Period, the terms of the UK’s participation in EU agencies and bodies will be as set out in Article 128 of the Withdrawal Agreement. Following our exit from the European Union, we are committed to maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with the EU. Our future partnership is a matter for the next phase of negotiations and we look forward to constructive discussions with the EU.

Football Pools: Excise Duties

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Answer of 29 January 2019 to Question 210669, what would be the net cost to the public purse of reducing the football pools betting duty from 15 to 10 per cent.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in pursuant to Answer of 29 January 2019 to Question 210669 on Football Pools: Excise Duties, what assessment he has made of the level of risk that bookmakers will switch their fixed odds bets to pools to avoid paying General Betting Duty in the event that Pools Betting Duty was to be reduced to 10 per cent.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the effective tax rate is for (a) bingo clubs, (b) casinos, (c) local betting offices and (d) the Football Pools.

Robert Jenrick: No assessment of the Exchequer impact of reducing the rate of Pool Betting Duty to 10% has been made. However due to the ease of changing between pools betting and regular betting the Government considers it would put a significant portion of the General Betting Duty receipts at risk – which totalled £572m in 2017-18. A list of current and future gambling duty rates can be found in Annex A of the Government’s Budget 2018 document. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/754766/Annex_A_rates_and_allowances.pdf

Public Finance: Scotland

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the 2014 Government report Scotland anaylsis: fiscal policy and sustainability, what the evidential basis was for the statement that each person in Scotland would be £1,400 better off each year if Scotland remained part of the UK, and what that figure has been for each year since 2014.

Elizabeth Truss: In Scotland analysis: fiscal policy and sustainability (2014), HM Government projected that, as part of the UK, Scotland would be able to have lower tax or higher spending than under independence. This was estimated to be worth £1,400 per person in Scotland in each year from 2016-17 onwards. The methodology used to calculate this can be found in Annex A of Scotland analysis: fiscal policy and sustainability HM Government has not updated this analysis since the publication.

VAT: Electronic Government

Dr David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the requirement for people filing VAT returns under Making Things Digital to use a private company's software, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the contract for that software; and what assessment he has made of the potential risk of data breach.

Mel Stride: HMRC has not made contracts or paid software developers for the provision of Making Tax Digital (MTD) compatible software.However, software developers intending to develop MTD compatible software must comply with HMRC’s Terms of Use, which set out strict requirements they must meet, including in terms of cyber-security and the security, storage, management and processing of customer data. HMRC monitors data sent to its systems for fraud prevention, and to ensure that customer data is safe. The Terms of Use are available here:https://developer.service.hmrc.gov.uk/api-documentation/docs/terms-of-use.

Customs

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate HMRC has made of the level of non-compliance at the UK border in a No Deal scenario with customs declarations and observance of tariffs; and if he will place that estimate in the Library.

Mel Stride: In the event of a no deal HMRC will prioritise flow at the UK border but not at the expense of security, and will support businesses to meet their obligations. The level of compliance on declarations and tariffs is dependent on a number of factors and an estimate of the level of non-compliance is not available at this stage.

Treasury: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether officials in his Department have had annual leave scheduled for April 2019 cancelled.

Robert Jenrick: It is Treasury policy that line managers are responsible for ensuring that employees are given the opportunity to take, as a minimum, their statutory annual leave during the leave year. Line managers will take into account the Treasury’s operational needs while making decisions for granting annual leave. All annual leave requests are managed within the line management chain, and hence, details of any approved or cancelled annual leave is not held centrally.

Financial Conduct Authority: Fines

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the 10 December 2018 Financial Times article FCA fines against individuals almost treble, whether his Department has made an assessment of the reasons for which fines issued by the Financial Conduct Authority decreased 88 per cent between 2017 and 2018.

John Glen: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an independent non-governmental body, given statutory powers by the Financial Services and Markets Act (2000). In view of this independence, HMT does not make an assessment of the fines issued by the FCA. The FCA provides year on year analysis of the fines it levies in its annual enforcement report. The 2017/18 report can be found here: https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/corporate/annual-report-2017-18-enforcement-performance.pdf

Money Laundering

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department made to the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering ahead of the release of that body's evaluation of the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing regime in December 2018.

John Glen: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global standard-setter on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. In line with the FATF procedures (available at http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/mutualevaluations/documents/4th-round-procedures.html), HM Treasury submitted supporting documents for its evaluation in autumn 2017, outlining the technical compliance and efficacy of the UK’s regime. HM Treasury officials subsequently engaged with FATF assessors during on-site meetings in March 2018 and at face-to-face meetings in August 2018. The UK’s report was formally agreed by FATF members at the October 2018 FATF plenary meeting and published on 7 December 2018.

Money Laundering

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force in its recent assessment of the UK's anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing regime.

John Glen: In its recent assessment of the UK's anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) regime, the Financial Action Task Force gave the UK the strongest results of 60 countries it has assessed to date. Out of the 11 areas assessed, the UK received the highest possible rating in 4 and the second highest rating in a further 4. The strong assessment of the UK’s system reflects the UK’s commitment to tackling illicit finance – as reflected through recent reforms such as the establishment of the National Economic Crime Centre, the establishment of the Office for Professional Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) within the Financial Conduct Authority, the new measures introduced in the Criminal Finances Act 2017, and the implementation of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. In January, the Chancellor and Home Secretary launched the Economic Crime Strategic Board which will work with senior figures from the public and private sectors to tackle economic crime. The Board, which will meet twice a year, will set priorities, direct resources and scrutinise performance against the economic crime threat. It is through the work of this Board, and the ongoing Treasury and Home Office-led economic crime reform programme, that the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations will be addressed. On 13 February, I co-chaired an AML/CFT Supervision roundtable with the Minister of State for Security & Economic Crime, with attendance from across the professional body supervision regime. This provided an important opportunity to emphasise the commitment of government to tackling illicit finance in the accountancy and legal sectors, to reaffirm my support for OPBAS in raising supervision standards and to make clear to attendees their responsibility to address the recommendations made by FATF during their review of the UK’s AML/CFT regime. There is work already in train to address some of the recommendations. For example, the government is already committed to:Reforming the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regime, to further improve the use of financial intelligence in the UKRegulating virtual currencies for AML/CTF purposes by the end of 2019, to tackle emerging risks in the sectorTaking appropriate action on mitigating the threats posed by limited partnerships, on which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published proposals in December 2018A broader package of reforms to Companies House which will be consulted on later this year, andStrengthening the AML supervisory regime through the work of the OPBAS.

Taxation: Electronic Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the dates of the meetings he has had with representatives of the Federation of Small Businesses on making tax digital.

Mel Stride: I refer you to my answer to Question 220806 which references the extensive stakeholder engagement exercise undertaken as part of the development of Making Tax Digital (MTD), and which involved the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB have also shared their views about these important reforms with me directly. The FSB is also a member of a number of fora where HMRC engages with stakeholders on issues relevant to the development of MTD, including the Joint VAT Consultative Committee, and the SME Digital Services Group. Entries for ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

Taxation: Electronic Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures his Department has put in place to monitor the successful migration from manual taxation to making tax digital.

Mel Stride: Mandatory online filing for VAT returns was introduced in 2012 and some 98% of VAT returns are already received online. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is committed to ensuring businesses can successfully transition to Making Tax Digital (MTD) – which also requires use of digital tools for record keeping. HMRC has been running an extensive pilot to test the service, including the support that has been developed to help businesses transition, and ensure it is designed in the light of business and agent experience. HMRC is closely monitoring progress in the pilot, evaluating the number of sign-ups, submissions, the customer service offering and other technical elements ahead of the service being mandated for periods starting on or after 1 April. They are also tracking levels of awareness and the experience of businesses in the pilot. This monitoring will continue after mandation when HMRC will be able to continue to assess how the service is operating at scale, and the impact on additional tax revenue. MTD will not be extended to other taxes or to those below the VAT threshold until the system is shown to be working.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant the Answer of 4 February 2019 to Question 214560 on Buildings: Insulation, if the bespoke test methodology developed by the Building Research Establishment will examine dangerous gases produced by the burning of building materials during a fire.

Kit Malthouse: The project is focused on investigating the burning behaviour of cladding materials in order to consider their contribution to fire spread. Whilst controlling fire spread will tend to limit the production of smoke, the test methodology does not include measurement of toxicity.

Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department is making on drafting regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector; and what consultations his Department is undertaking to inform the drafting of those regulations.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are working to bring regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector into force as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval and timetable. As outlined in the Government response to Electrical safety in the private rented sector, published on 29 January 2019, we will work with industry to produce guidance for landlords setting out the skills and qualifications relevant to determining competence of those carrying out electrical inspections. We further intend to work with local authorities in England as we develop the range of sanctions available to them for non-compliance.

Antisemitism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many anti-Semitic attacks there have been in each part of the UK since 2012.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Hate crimes are unacceptable and the Government is completely committed to tackling them.In October 2018 the first breakdown of hate crime statistics by religion was released by the Home Office. This data showed that 672 antisemitic hate crimes were recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2017/18. The full hate crime data bulletin for 2017/18 can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/748598/hate-crime-1718-hosb2018.pdf.The Community Security Trust independently collects its own data on antisemitic attacks in the UK. According to its data, there have been 7742 antisemitic attacks in the UK since 2012, and the highest numbers of attacks have been in London and Greater Manchester.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of each local authority's housing revenue account borrowing cap was utilised at the start of the (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19 financial year.

Kit Malthouse: The table below sets out for each local authority with a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) the percentage of their borrowing cap that had been utilised at 1 April 2017 and 1 April 2018. At Autumn Budget we confirmed that the HRA borrowing cap had been abolished. Local authorities are now free to borrow to build a new generation of council housing, in line with the Prudential Code. We expect them to be able to double building to 10,000 homes per year by 2021/22. Local Authority% cap utilised at 1 April 2017% cap utilised at 1 April 2018Adur87.22%87.22%Arun69.34%67.87%Ashfield100.00%100.00%Ashford94.59%94.20%Babergh88.15%87.64%Barking & Dagenham98.23%99.37%Barnet83.99%83.99%Barnsley92.11%90.33%Barrow-in-Furness56.95%54.54%Basildon92.34%92.34%Bassetlaw90.83%87.26%Birmingham97.55%94.76%Blackpool13.57%13.57%Bolsover78.83%92.69%Bournemouth98.53%84.10%Brent64.22%74.55%Brentwood85.54%84.85%Brighton & Hove78.50%80.02%Bristol95.14%95.14%Broxtowe96.28%96.28%Bury87.44%87.44%Cambridge92.84%92.84%Camden87.54%89.08%Cannock Chase94.18%94.18%Canterbury78.70%74.54%Castle Point97.19%97.19%Central Bedfordshire100.00%99.94%Charnwood92.46%92.46%Cheltenham84.71%84.71%Cheshire West & Chester83.66%85.96%Chesterfield86.34%85.05%City of London0.00%0.00%Colchester91.20%91.20%Corby91.06%96.50%Cornwall87.75%86.50%Crawley98.64%98.64%Croydon96.58%96.58%Dacorum97.95%97.95%Darlington95.24%94.40%Dartford71.37%66.26%Derby93.64%93.84%Doncaster98.20%98.56%Dover84.04%81.67%Dudley100.00%100.00%Ealing72.38%79.81%East Devon93.24%91.75%East Riding of Yorkshire92.08%91.98%Eastbourne97.77%100.00%Enfield79.64%90.30%Epping Forest79.13%79.13%Exeter100.00%100.00%Fareham89.96%89.96%Folkestone & Hythe77.18%77.18%Gateshead100.00%100.00%Gosport98.34%98.15%Gravesham78.59%75.60%Great Yarmouth87.63%90.47%Greenwich99.99%99.99%Guildford99.82%100.00%Hackney56.62%56.62%Hammersmith & Fulham82.74%82.58%Haringey75.92%69.08%Harlow89.72%89.72%Harrogate72.17%72.17%Harrow99.00%99.98%Hartlepool83.30%90.10%Havering83.57%83.57%High Peak83.70%81.87%Hillingdon65.85%62.87%Hinckley & Bosworth100.00%100.00%Hounslow87.53%87.53%Ipswich84.01%82.03%Islington88.56%88.56%Kensington & Chelsea94.84%94.84%Kettering80.51%80.51%Kingston upon Hull78.84%73.74%Kingston upon Thames87.17%88.02%Kirklees98.15%96.03%Lambeth91.68%97.93%Lancaster68.87%67.11%Leeds100.00%100.00%Leicester95.78%95.46%Lewes87.54%87.26%Lewisham58.74%45.21%Lincoln88.62%88.62%Luton91.15%95.28%Manchester100.00%100.00%Mansfield86.45%83.38%Medway Towns91.48%90.83%Melton93.83%93.83%Mid Devon82.14%80.32%Mid Suffolk95.50%95.50%Milton Keynes89.28%88.71%New Forest92.49%92.49%Newark & Sherwood83.07%89.32%Newcastle upon Tyne89.69%91.72%Newham79.94%79.94%North East Derbyshire86.07%97.38%North Kesteven86.93%84.33%North Tyneside100.00%100.00%North Warwickshire78.98%75.87%North West Leicestershire83.17%81.98%Northampton89.66%89.66%Northumberland96.02%96.02%Norwich86.80%86.80%Nottingham87.65%92.16%Nuneaton & Bedworth86.47%86.47%Oadby & Wigston88.33%90.16%Oldham0.00%0.00%Oxford82.34%82.34%Poole95.19%86.65%Portsmouth85.16%92.31%Reading91.59%90.81%Redbridge67.62%67.62%Redditch100.00%100.00%Richmondshire71.16%67.72%Rotherham90.35%90.35%Rugby74.34%74.34%Runnymede98.37%98.37%Sandwell84.10%86.27%Sedgemoor89.92%89.81%Selby82.34%83.81%Sheffield89.09%89.09%Shropshire88.51%88.51%Slough89.11%89.11%Solihull95.67%96.18%South CambridgeshireNo dataNo dataSouth Derbyshire92.12%92.12%South Holland91.84%91.84%South Kesteven80.85%78.47%South Tyneside100.00%100.00%Southampton81.75%79.11%Southend-on-Sea96.65%96.65%Southwark68.04%74.39%St Albans94.42%90.76%Stevenage95.78%94.63%Stockport86.85%90.49%Stoke-on-Trent85.13%85.13%Stroud100.00%100.00%Sutton92.77%97.14%Swindon69.02%66.12%Tamworth85.69%85.69%Tandridge86.57%84.46%Taunton Deane90.14%90.56%Tendring74.81%72.05%Thanet73.32%74.79%Thurrock90.82%91.35%Tower Hamlets45.70%45.51%Uttlesford99.01%96.75%Waltham Forest93.23%99.98%Wandsworth60.50%54.77%Warwick90.53%90.53%Waveney88.67%88.67%Waverley99.94%98.12%Wealden86.78%89.63%Welwyn Hatfield82.64%78.93%West Lancashire83.82%83.82%Westminster79.82%79.82%Wigan83.62%83.82%Wiltshire96.90%96.90%Winchester96.17%97.33%Woking95.40%99.22%Wokingham88.35%88.28%Wolverhampton75.39%71.18%York95.25%95.25%

Buildings: Insulation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what combinations of cladding and insulation the Government plans to commission the Building Research Establishment to test as part of the non-ACM testing programme.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to question 217591 on 11 February.

Buildings: Insulation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made on the effectiveness of the BS 8414 test on the fire performance of external cladding systems in reflecting real world scenarios.

Kit Malthouse: I refere the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to question UIN 214599 on 4 February.

Buildings: Insulation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will instruct the Building Research Establishment to design the BS 8414 tests on the fire performance of external cladding systems to reflect the worst-case scenario of a building fire.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Grenfell Tower fire, if the Government will take account of common installation failures when commissioning the British Research Establishment to conduct BS 8414 tests on the fire performance of external cladding systems when testing non-ACM materials to ensure that those tests reflect worst case scenarios.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government will take steps to  ensure that the BS8414 tests carried out by the Building Research Establishment on non-ACM materials include (a) windows, (b) ventilation openings and (c) reasonably spaced fire barriers.

Kit Malthouse: Tests carried out using the BS 8414 methodology are designed using the established and recognised BS 8414 methodology. Rigs to be used in tests are constructed in line with standard industry practice to ensure compliance with Approved Document B guidance on the construction of external wall systems.

Buildings: Insulation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to publish the full details and results of the BS 8414 tests on the fire performance of external cladding systems commissioned by the Building Research Establishment as part of its non-ACM testing programme.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 18 February to question UIN 220245.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant the Answer of 8 February 2019 to Question 217110 on Buildings: Insulation, whether employees of the Building Research Establishment were members of the independent expert advisory panel that witnessed the referenced tests.

Kit Malthouse: Peter Bonfield - Chief Executive of the Building Research Establishment - was a member of the independent expert advisory panel when the tests were undertaken. Each test was attended by members of the expert panel, but not all members attended each test. Tests were conducted using BSI's BS 8414 methodology.

Devolution: Yorkshire and the Humber

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to the Mayor of the Sheffield City Region of 12 February 2019, for what reasons the One Yorkshire deal did not meet the Government’s devolution criteria.

Jake Berry: The criteria for devolution which we have consistently applied are that devolution is to a functional economic area and that there must be strong and accountable governance proportionate to the powers and budgets being devolved. One Yorkshire differs significantly in terms of geography and governance from those deals.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the details of the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who he plans to appoint to administer the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Jake Berry: As the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed to the House on 28 January, we will consult widely on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). This will allow all interested parties the opportunity to input their views directly to government and ensure the UKSPF works for all places across the UK.Final decisions on the quantum and administration of the Fund are due to be made during the comprehensive Spending Review.

Ministry of Defence

Roads: Freight

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Departments has allocated funding to promote the road haulage and logistics sector to veterans; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides all Service leavers with resettlement provision to help prepare them for entering the civilian job market and to make a successful transition to employment or achieve the wider vocational outcome they seek. The provision entitles Service leavers, depending on their discharge category, to duty time, financial assistance and access to Career Transition Partnership (CTP) Services.The MOD funded CTP provision includes workshops, seminars, career consultancy, resettlement training advice and vocational training, together with job finding support. This provision promotes employment opportunities across all sectors, including the road haulage and logistics sector. Eligible Service leavers may undertake haulage and logistics vocational training with support from the CTP including licences and certificates of professional competence. The CTP publishes 21 industry guides, including a guide specifically promoting Transport and Logistics. This sector is recognised as a good option for some of our highly talented Service leavers; however, the choice of post-discharge employment sector must remain with the individual.All employers are encouraged to engage with the CTP through https://www.ctp.org.uk/employers. By registering with CTP, employers gain access to RightJob to freely advertise available jobs, they can attend employment fairs and are assigned a CTP Employment Relationship Manager (ERM).

Arms Trade

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) promotion through military channels and (b) funding (i) his Department and (ii) the Defence Export Services Organisation have plans to provide to the 2019 Defence and Security Equipment International.

Stuart Andrew: In line with the Department's commitment to the UK's prosperity agenda and support for the UK Defence Industry, Service personnel will be present to support the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition with all associated costs met by the commercial event organiser as appropriate.

Fisheries: Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department will provide protection for British fishermen who encounter aggressive action from French fishermen in British waters after the UK leaves the EU.

Mark Lancaster: Royal Navy vessels operate in UK waters in addition to the United Kingdom Border Force, marine policing units, the vessels of the inshore fishery conservation authorities and maritime and coastguard agency aircraft. These operations ensure that freedom of navigation is maintained so that everyone who seeks to use the seas for their lawful business, regardless of nationality, can do so.There are no plans for Royal Navy vessels to be used to provide direct security to British fisherman after the UK leaves the EU.

USA: Military Bases

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) publish and (b) place in the Library the Cost Sharing Arrangement between the UK and US Governments for the use of bases.

Mark Lancaster: I will place the UK/US Cost Sharing Arrangement concerning the use of military bases by the United States Visiting Forces in the Library of the House. You may wish to note that this document has been placed in the National Archives.

USA: INF Treaty

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will commit to not allowing US cruise missiles to be based in the UK after the US has suspended its obligations from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty.

Gavin Williamson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Europe and the Americas (Sir Alan Duncan) on 12 February 2019 to Question 217100 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr Lloyd Russell-Moyle).



217100 - USA: Nuclear Weapons
(Word Document, 22.07 KB)

EU Defence Policy

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the practicalities of future defence co-operation between the UK and the EU, in the event that the UK no longer participates in the Common Security and Defence policy; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The UK will pursue a distinctive, independent, and sovereign foreign and defence policy that meets British interests and promotes our values. The Political Declaration negotiated with the EU recognises the shared threats and values of the UK and Europe and provides a framework for an ambitious, broad and flexible future relationship.

Military Law

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has contingency plans to impose Martial law in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mark Lancaster: 'Martial Law' is not a defined term in the UK and is not a phrase recognised in UK Policing doctrine. The Police are responsible for Public Order in the UK and the Ministry of Defence has no plans to utilise military personnel for public order in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Defence remains closely engaged with other Government departments on wider no-deal contingency planning and remains available to support the civil authorities if necessary.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Testing

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 13 February to Question 218778 on Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the F-35B testing programme being developed by the Joint Programme Office.

Stuart Andrew: The F-35 programme is still developing the future F-35 Operational Test and Evaluation plan and our contribution has yet to be established.

Army: Vehicles

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2018 to Question 169215 on Army: Vehicles, what recent progress has been made on package one of the Multi-Role Vehicle - Protected programme.

Stuart Andrew: Our current planning assumption remains that we will procure the Joint Land Tactical Vehicle to meet the Army's requirement for a future protected multi-role vehicle. Funding has been set aside for this acquisition in the Department's Equipment Plan. The Ministry of Defence will make the final decision on how to proceed when our wider plans for Armed Forces modernisation are fully mature.

Defence: Procurement

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of implications of the US Director, Operational Test and Evaluation Annual Report, published in December 2018, for defence procurement policy.

Stuart Andrew: The role of the US Director Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) is to provide independent analysis and make recommendations on US defense programmes. We have a strong relationship with DOT&E and we actively share approaches to develop effective and efficient solutions to some of our common challenges. The Ministry of Defence regularly engages with the Department for Defense on programmes like F-35 Lightning, where the UK is an intrinsic part of the operational test team, and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. All issues raised within the DOT&E report are understood and, where applicable to our programmes, are being actively managed by the relevant stakeholders.

Army: Vehicles

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the US Director, Operational Test and Evaluation Annual Report, published in December 2018, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence remains in regular dialogue with the Department of Defense on programmes such as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. All issues raised within the Director Operational Test and Evaluation report are understood and will be actively managed if they impact on the UK programme.

Navy: Far East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to be able to deploy a fully manned Carrier Strike Group to the Far East.

Mark Lancaster: HMS Queen Elizabeth's first operational deployment will be in 2021.As announced by the Secretary of State, the deployment will include the Pacific region although exact locations and dates for this deployment are yet to be confirmed.The precise number and mix of vessels, and therefore the number of personnel, would depend on the operational circumstances at the time.The Carrier Strike capability will continue to be developed with a planned transition to a full operating capability by the end of 2023.

Military Bases: Far East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what forward basing arrangements his Department is establishing in the Far East.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 January 2019 to Question 208862 to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Ben Lake).



208862 - Caribbean and SE Asia: Military Bases
(Word Document, 22.24 KB)

Type 45 Destroyers

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the effect on the manning of Type 45s was of the crewing up of HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Mark Lancaster: Providing the Ship's Company of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH had no effect on the personnel provided to the Type 45 destroyers.

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the media buying brief produced for the Crown Commercial Service for the Your Army Needs You advertising campaign launched in January 2019.

Mark Lancaster: Some sections of the requested media buying brief may require redaction due to commercial sensitivity. I will seek to place a copy in the Library of the House as soon as practicable, once it has been reviewed by Ministry of Defence officials.

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Business Challenge section of the campaign brief for Capita published on 13 February, what recent improvements the Army Recruiting Group has made.

Mark Lancaster: The Army is working closely with Capita, with multiple interventions now in place and delivering improvements to Army recruiting. These include the new Your Army marketing campaign, measures to reduce the time between applicants applying and starting training, greater access to military role models for applicants during the process and a new IT system which is providing enhanced management data.Regular soldier applications are at a five-year high, and while it is premature to assess the success of the current 'Your Army' campaign, early indications are of a strong start in attracting candidates to join the Army, with over 10,000 applicants to join the Regular Army in January. It will take longer to see increases in trained strength due to the length of the recruitment and training pipelines.

MOD Boscombe Down: Aviation

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received on the procurement of emergency airfield cover at Boscombe Down airfield.

Stuart Andrew: Under the Long Term Partnering Agreement between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and QinetiQ, the company provides year-round emergency airfield response cover at MOD Boscombe Down, including aircraft crash rescue. In addition, during flying activity, the MOD's Defence Primary Health Care provides emergency ambulance cover using a commercial enterprise. A competition to renew this service has been completed and is currently being reviewed. I am withholding details of the tenderers as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to ensure that those who tender for government contracts for his department are kept informed of the status of their tender throughout the process.

Stuart Andrew: Standard documentation outlining the tendering process, including anticipated key activities and dates, is provided to all suppliers tendering for Ministry of Defence contracts. If there are successive rounds of negotiation or dialogue, tenderers are notified after each successive stage whether they have been selected to continue. All tenderers are subsequently notified of the final contract award decision.

Department for Work and Pensions

Health and Safety Executive: Training

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what gender awareness training staff at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have undertaken in relation to their inspections of workplaces; and whether the HSE has a gender awareness strategy in place for those inspections.

Sarah Newton: It is a mandatory requirement that all staff in HSE, not just those inspecting workplaces, are required to complete unconscious bias training and diversity and inclusion training annually. This training covers all protective characteristics including gender. HSE has a Dignity at Work Statement published on its Intranet site. This statement is for everyone within HSE, and applies to all members of staff including contractors, agency staff and anyone engaged to carry out work on HSE's behalf. It sets out what behaviours are expected when dealing with each other and members of the public.

Personal Independence Payment: Blood Diseases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what updated guidance his Department has issued to personal independence payment (PIP) assessment providers to ensure that those assessors understand the impact and effect of contaminated blood on claimants, and what monitoring his Department has undertaken of the outcomes of PIP assessments since the review of haemarthropathy cases to ensure the effectiveness of that guidance.

Sarah Newton: The Department is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to live independently and we recognise the contribution that PIP can make to this. During meetings with the DWP Working Group with individuals affected by contaminated blood, concerns were raised about people affected by contaminated blood scoring nil or low points for PIP, and members were invited to share any such cases for review. After reviewing all of the cases received, a problem with how the functional needs of claimants with haemarthropathy had been assessed for PIP was identified. On the 25th June 2018 the Department began an administrative exercise to review cases of claimants with contaminated blood where they have haemophilia or haemarthropathy from other causes, to ensure claimants receive the correct award. To date 370 cases have been reviewed. All claimants have now been notified, completing the original exercise. In conjunction with this administrative exercise the Department along with PIP assessment providers have developed new guidance on haemophilia and haemarthropathy to ensure health professionals appropriately assess such cases. This guidance was fully implemented on 15th February 2019 and the Department will now be reviewing a second batch of recent cases, assessed between the end of the original exercise and the implementation of the guidance. Additionally, Assessment Providers and stakeholders are working together to develop reports for haemophilia and contaminated blood. These reports are completed by groups which represent individuals with specific health conditions and impairments. They are intended to provide insight regarding the daily life and everyday challenges which individuals with these conditions may face to further support health professionals in future assessments. The Department is committed to supporting individuals effected by contaminated blood and continues to work closely with the DWP Working Group to ensure we fully support our claimants and make improvements where possible.

Universal Credit

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to assist universal credit claimants who are unable to attend Jobcentre appointments on weekdays before 5pm because of work commitments.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to compensate universal credit claimants who must take unpaid time off work to attend Jobcentre appointments.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven day a week digital service that allows claimants to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. Via their account claimants can check their Universal Credit benefit payments, notify the Department of changes and record notes via an online journal facility. In addition, the Universal Credit helpline is open until 6pm Monday to Friday. Established claimants who call the helpline are connected directly to the person or team who are dealing with the case. Not all Universal Credit claimants are required to attend interviews at their local Jobcentre. This will depend on their individual personal circumstances. For claimants whose earnings are above the individual or household Conditionality Earnings Threshold or the Administrative Earnings Threshold there is no conditionality requirement to attend interviews with a Work Coach. Where a voluntary interview is necessary to verify evidence, claimants are able to arrange the most convenient date and time with their Work Coach or Case Manager.

Department for Work and Pensions: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value of contracts held by her Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

Justin Tomlinson: Deloitte – The contract named DWP ADMS Transition Partner Service was valued at £7,608,816 and the term was 19 Feb 2016 to 18 Feb 2018. The contract named Provision of consultancy for DWP estates PMO requirement was valued at £2,000,000 and the term was 14 Feb 2017 to 9 Feb 2018. The contract named Consultancy for organisational design for DWP Finance Group was valued at £444,200 and the term is 8 Jul-2018 to 31 Mar 2019. The contract named Digital Organisation Transformation Support was valued at £2,500,000 and the term is 30 Apr-2018 to 30 Apr 2019. Slaughter and May – £0 Mott Macdonald - £0

Occupational Pensions

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to take implement the proposals from its Automatic enrolment review 2017, published on 18 December 2017, to remove the lower limit of qualifying earnings for workplace pension auto-enrolment.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support low paid women in part time jobs to save for retirement.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support people who do not meet the automatic enrolment earnings threshold to save for retirement.

Guy Opperman: Automatic Enrolment has reversed the decline in workplace pension saving. Latest figures show that more than 10 million workers have been automatically enrolled into workplace pension by more than 1.4 million employers. By 2019/20 an estimated extra £18.4 billion a year is estimated to go into workplace pensions as a result of Automatic Enrolment. Automatic enrolment was designed specifically to help groups who historically were poorly served or excluded from workplace pension saving, such as women and lower earners. In 2012, 60% of eligible women in the private sector did not have a workplace pension. As of 2017, this had fallen to 20% and the participation rate for women in the private sector is now near equal to men. The earnings trigger determines who is eligible to be enrolled by their employer into a workplace pension. The DWP reviews the trigger annually, and in doing so considers whether the people brought into pensions saving are likely to benefit, paying particular attention to the impact of this on groups currently under-represented in pension saving such as women and low earners. The decision to maintain the trigger at £10,000 for 2019/20 continues to strike a balance between affordability for employers and individuals, while delivering on our policy objective of continuing to give low to median earners, who are most able to save, the opportunity to do so. This also provides a level of stability, with the second phased increase in contributions due to take place at the start of the 2019/20 tax year. Lowering the trigger could result in diverting income away from the day-to-day needs of the lowest earners and impact significantly on their living standards. For those low earners who are in a position to contribute, however, the option remains to opt-in to saving, and if they earn above the lower earnings limit they will also receive employer contributions. The Government is committed to building on the success of Automatic Enrolment. The 2017 review sets out our ambition for the mid-2020s, with proposals to strengthen financial resilience for young people and lower earners, including those who have multiple part-time jobs. However, we will not force the pace of change in Automatic Enrolment and want to understand properly the impact of the 2018 and 2019 increases in minimum contribution rates, and work with stakeholders to build the consensus on which the success of Automatic Enrolment has been based, before committing to a timetable for the proposed changes.

Universal Credit: Glasgow North

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when employment support allowance claimants in receipt of the severe disability premium residing in Glasgow North constituency will be migrated to universal credit.

Sarah Newton: Since 16 January 2019 claimants who are in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium or who have been entitled to an award of an existing benefit that included SDP in the previous month, and who have continued to meet the SDP eligibility conditions, have been prevented from moving onto Universal Credit if they experience a change in circumstances. Instead, these claimants will continue to claim legacy benefits until DWP move them onto UC where transitional protection will be available, thereby safeguarding their existing benefit entitlement. We will begin to pilot the processes for moving claimants on to Universal credit in July 2019 on a small scale. We will report on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to scale up the process from November 2020 and complete by the end of 2023. The Department is currently working with key stakeholders to determine the approach to the pilot and subsequent expansion, including which areas are involved and at what stage.

Children: Maintenance

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2018 to Question 181589 on Children: Maintenance, whether the income information provided by HMRC under a data sharing agreement for the most recent complete tax year (a) only applies to Real Time Information figures and (b) excludes any income from work-related benefits.

Justin Tomlinson: Real Time Information is not currently included within the income information provided by HMRC to calculate a child maintenance liability. Income information is provided by HMRC for the most recent complete tax year they hold within the previous six years. More recent income data can be used in specific circumstances where a paying parent’s circumstances have changed in a way that breaks the 25% tolerance, requiring their calculation to move from historic to current income. The income information HMRC provide is based on Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and self-assessment records. This captures income from a range of taxable benefits, including Income Support; Incapacity Benefit; income related Jobseekers Allowance; and Employment and Support Allowance.

Children: Maintenance

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents paying child maintenance have received a reimbursement of overpaid child maintenance in (a) the last five years and (b) the last 12 months for which information is available.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Jobcentres: Staff

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the ratio is of male to female staff members in job centres throughout the UK.

Justin Tomlinson: As of December 2018 the ratio of male to female staff in Jobcentres is 27.9% male to 72.1% female.

Children: Maintenance

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in relation to the Child Maintenance Service policy law and decision-making guidance, entitled relevant other child decision making guidance, whether checks are undertaken during the annual review to ensure that they continue to meet the criteria for the deduction to the non-resident parent's gross weekly income.

Justin Tomlinson: The annual review ensures that the child maintenance liability is based on the paying parents most up to date earnings and reflects any changes in their income during the most recent complete tax year. Paying parents are legally required to inform the Child Maintenance Service of any change to their circumstances which could affect their child maintenance liability, including changes with regard to other children they are responsible for.

Department for Work and Pensions: Automation

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress her Department has made on implementing robotics and intelligent automation in departmental processes.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP has 15 automations in operation, with a further 11 automations due to go live in Quarter 3 of 2019.

Department for Work and Pensions: Automation

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money her Department has spent on Robotic Process Automation projects in each year for which information is available.

Justin Tomlinson: For the financial year 2017/18 the DWP spent £3.4m through the Intelligent Automation Garage on RPA (Robotic Process Automation). For 2018 until the end of January 2019 the spend is £6.94m.

Department for Work and Pensions: Automation

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff work in her Department's Intelligent Automation Garage unit.

Justin Tomlinson: There are 92 individuals currently employed within the Intelligent Automation Garage.

*No heading*

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with Capita on ensuring timely payment to GPs for their completion of DS1500 forms that are required to process end-of-life benefits.

Sarah Newton: The DS1500 forms are completed by GP’s making an assessment of patients nearing end of life through a terminal medical condition. These forms are then sent to and authorised by DWP before being issued to Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL) who process payment on behalf of DWP. In January 2019, SSCL reported that all properly completed and authorised payment requests were processed within their target of 5 days.

Universal Credit: Dundee

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of claimants with unacceptable customer behaviour markings who were unable acquire a work capability assessment for universal credit from the Dundee service centre because the process for referring claimants was incorrect between September 2018 and January 2019.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the descriptors used for Work Capability Assessments take proper account of the way that people can be affected by impairment of stamina, breathing or fatigue.

Sarah Newton: All healthcare professionals who carry out Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) receive training on the assessment of claimants with fluctuating conditions associated with fatigue and breathlessness. Furthermore the WCA Handbook for healthcare professionals has a section dedicated to the assessment of variable / fluctuating conditions.

Department for Work and Pensions: Public Records

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many records her Department holds that have reached the time limit for their transfer to the National Archives but have not been transferred.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP reviewed 45,981 files in 2018 and transferred 1369 files to The National Archives (TNA) in October 2018. 3205 files are due to be transferred to the TNA in March 2019.DWP has 569 files that are awaiting review, these files have start dates pre-1995. Some of these files may be selected for transfer to the TNA.

Jobcentres: Computers

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total number of computers available for public use in Jobcentres in England was in each year since 2010.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is detailed below and is from internal DWP data which has not been quality assured to official statistical standards:Reliable data for the period 2010-2013 is not held. In 2014 national roll-out of customer devices* was completed by June 2014, with a total in England of 6761. Between 2015 and 2018 these devices were maintained in England at 6761. In 2019 the number of customer devices in jobcentres in England has reduced to 6409 due to the rationalisation of the DWP Estate. These figures include 44 new up to date customer devices which have been installed and are currently being trialled in 3 offices in England from 2019. This should result in all devices in England being replaced during 2019 with new bespoke machines designed to support the Universal Credit customer journey. Notes: * A desktop computer available for public use, available for the majority of time with the exception of servicing and updates. These figures do not include “JobPoints/JobKiosks” that could be used by the public for job search activities and which were completely decommissioned by November 2014.

Jobcentres: Computers

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many computers have been available for public use in Jobcenters in each region of England in each year since 2010.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is detailed below and is from internal DWP data which has not been quality assured to official statistical standards: Reliable data for the period 2010-2013 is not held. For the period 2014-2019 the number of devices * is detailed in the table below: RegionYears 2014-2018Number of devicesSouthern 1101London & Home Counties1794Central1553North West1050North East1263RegionYear: 2019Number of devicesSouthern 1044London & Home Counties1723Central1462North West992North East1188 For 2019 the number of customer devices in jobcentres in England has reduced overall to 6409, due to the rationalisation of the DWP Estate. These figures include 44 new up to date customer devices which have been installed and are currently being trialled in 3 offices in England from 2019. This should result in all devices in England being replaced during 2019 with new bespoke machines designed to support the Universal Credit customer journey. Notes: * A desktop computer available for public use, available for the majority of time with the exception of servicing and updates. These figures do not include “JobPoints/JobKiosks” that could be used by the public for job search activities and which were completely decommissioned by November 2014

Post Office Card Account

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the advice provided by (a) the Post Office and (b) government agencies to holders of the Post Office Card Account on their options to transfer payments to other sources, including any changes to that advice in the last five years.

Guy Opperman: The Post Office has not issued any advice, written or otherwise, to Post Office card account users over the past five years regarding options to transfer onto alternative products. The DWP has written to customers who use the Post Office card accounts to encourage them to receive payment into a mainstream account. This is part of our policy of reducing reliance on payment exception services and promoting financial inclusion through the use of mainstream accounts. Mainstream accounts offer more features and reduce the cost to the taxpayer. One of the key messages we highlight, is that 99% of banks’ personal accounts enable customers to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. For those claimants and pensioners who are unable to open a mainstream account, the DWP will implement an alternative payment service that allows users to obtain cash payments in their local area (including suburban and rural locations) before the end of the Post Office card account contract in November 2021. All DWP letters provide a free telephone number where the customer can call to discuss their payment options further and change their method of payment over the telephone. A copy of these letters will be placed in the House of Commons Library. As we approach the end of the Post Office card account contract, the DWP and POL will work together to issue joint guidance on Post Office card account user’s options, to transfer to other payments methods.

Work Capability Assessment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2019 to Question 219317 on Work Capability Assessment, when the safeguarding policy used by her Department's contractors was (a) initially agreed and (b) revised.

Sarah Newton: The safety and well-being of claimants is paramount. From the outset of the contract, we have required the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA), who conduct Work Capability Assessments, to have processes in place to protect claimants requiring functional assessments. All Healthcare Professionals must meet standards set by their regulatory bodies While the supplier is not required to have a general Safeguarding Policy, one has been developed to complement existing processes. As stated in the response to question 219317, a copy of the CHDA safeguarding policy will be placed in the Library.

Members: Correspondence

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's average response time is for replying to Hon. Members' letters about constituency matters.

Justin Tomlinson: Information about the performance of Departments and Agencies on handling correspondence from Members is published annually by way of a written statement by the Cabinet Office. The statement covering the most recent available information, that for 2017, was made on 26 June 2018, Official Record Vol. 643 HCWS22.

Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms the Government uses for recording trends in poverty at the (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local authority level.

Justin Tomlinson: Trends in rates of low-income nationally and regionally are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. The latest publication is available here. HBAI data cannot be used to produce breakdowns at local authority level as it is based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS), an annual survey of approximately 20,000 households across the UK. FRS sample size and coverage issues means that results broken down below the level of UK region are unlikely to be reliable. For alternative sub-regional sources, please see pages 58-59 of the HBAI Quality and Methodology report here.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Deer: Disease Control

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, how many cases of chronic wasting disease in deer there were in each of the last five years; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU on tackling that disease.

David Rutley: To date no cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer have been confirmed in the UK. Since 2016, 24 cases have been confirmed in Norway (details can be found on their website) and one in Finland. These are the only cases to date in Europe. Defra officials are in ongoing discussion with the European Union on measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The EU has banned the import of live cervids and cervid meat and products from member states and third countries where the disease has been confirmed, and has also banned the import and transit of urine lures. Following the first confirmation of CWD in Norway in 2016, the European Commission has introduced safeguard measures to limit the seasonal movements of live animals between certain regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland. The UK will continue to implement these controls following our departure from the EU.

Hedges and Ditches: Rural Areas

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote the skills of hedge-planting in rural areas.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: This answer applies to England only. The Government provides grants for hedge planting under Countryside Stewardship and previously under Environmental Stewardship. These schemes do not pay specifically for skills development, but do create a demand for hedge skills. Under live Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardship agreements we are funding over 690km of hedgerow planting in total. The Government has worked with national park authorities and the Institute for Apprenticeships in developing a Countryside Worker Apprenticeship standard. This includes hedge management within its scope. There are a range of training courses and advisory materials on hedge planting and management provided by charities such as the National Hedgelaying Society and by the Hedgelink partnership.

Dogs: Disease Control

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to prevent lung worm in dogs.

David Rutley: Lungworm infections have been found in dogs in the UK for many years. They cannot be transmitted to humans. Effective medicines for treatment and control are available, therefore, we do not see a requirement for government intervention.

Non-native species

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Natural England plans to consult on the implementation of the Invasive Alien Species Order 2019 to create species action plans that allow a flexible and risk-based management approach to licensing the release of (a) grey squirrels, (b) muntjac deer and (c) other widespread species where their release poses no threat to native wildlife.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: While the rescue of wildlife will not be illegal under the Order, the re-release of listed invasive species that have been taken from the wild will not be permitted. Neither grey squirrel nor muntjac deer are protected in the UK and both are highly invasive species which cause significant impacts on domestic ecosystems and protected species. Grey squirrels also have a negative impact on our forestry. There are no plans to allow the release of widespread invasive species listed under the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 2014, except as part of a specific licenced activity aimed at supporting the control of the species. The UK is committed to reducing the impacts of invasive non-native species within our borders. The Invasive Aliens Species (enforcement and permitting) Order 2019 is part of fulfilling these commitments, as laid out by the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. The Order also fulfils our obligations under the EU regulation to manage our widespread invasive non-native species.

Inland Waterways

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that waterways are open to all.

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the total length of unmanaged waterways that have an undisputed right of navigation in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Access to waterways, including for recreational purposes, remains subject to licence by the relevant navigation authority or to agreement with the riparian landowner where there is no navigation authority in place. The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of what length of unmanaged waterways has a public right of navigation. Within the canal and major river navigation network in England and Wales (20,000 km), approximately 4,700 km have either public navigation rights or are available for licensed navigation as managed by a navigation authority.

Tree Planting: Finance

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has allocated to the Office of the Government's Tree Champion; and what the process is for local authorities to allocate those funds.

David Rutley: There is no funding allocated to the Tree Champion. His role is to work with all of our stakeholders to inform policy development and encourage tree planting. As part of this, he is seeking input and advice from local authorities and others about public funding for tree planting, including the design of the Urban Tree Challenge fund announced in the spending review last autumn.

Fisheries: Channel Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking steps to ensure adequate  communication with the Channel Islands in relation to the fishing industry after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Defra Ministers meet with their Channel Island counterparts on an ad hoc basis, most recently at the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Channel Islands meeting on 11th February. In the last six months, Defra officials met representatives from the Channel Islands to discuss EU exit issues relating to the fishing industry on 18th September, 22nd October, 10th December, 17th January, and 13th February and will next meet them on 13th March. Defra supplements these meetings with fortnightly and ad hoc teleconferences. We will continue this engagement going forward.

Anaerobic Digestion

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of small-scale anaerobic digestion plants, for farm waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government supports anaerobic digestion (AD). AD can reduce greenhouse gas emissions (such as methane) from on-farm waste when best practice is used. Government supports AD for electricity through the Feed in Tariff and Contract for Difference schemes. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is currently consulting on the new Smart Export Guarantee which would allow a route to market for small scale AD. AD is also supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive which encourages the uptake of renewable forms of heating. In May 2018, Government introduced a Renewable Heat Incentive tariff uplift for the biomethane sector, encouraging the use of waste and residue feedstocks for AD.

Environment Protection: EU Grants and Loans

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has for replacing the EU’s LIFE and BEST funding programmes beyond 2020.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran, on 1 February 2019, PQ UIN 213461.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Public Consultation

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the (a) average and (b) total cost of each consultation exercise launched by (i) his Department and (ii) its executive agencies since 11 June 2017.

George Eustice: The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Pet Travel Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has applied to the European Commission to be listed under Part 1 or Part 2 of Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations.

David Rutley: The Department has submitted its application to allow the UK to become a Part 1 listed third country under Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations and is currently seeking technical discussions with the European Commission. It is now for the Commission to consider our application for listed status, following our departure from the EU.

Animal Welfare

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to regulate animal rescue centres.

David Rutley: The Government commends animal rescue centres for the valuable work they do caring for vulnerable animals in need. Defra is aware that many animal welfare charities support the introduction of licensing for the rescue and rehoming sector. They see this as a means to prevent disreputable dealers from reinventing themselves as rescue centres in order to evade the ban on third-party sales of puppies and kittens in England. The Government needs to understand the benefits and impacts of licensing on genuine rescue centres, and is engaging with the animal rescue and rehoming sector on these questions. To stop commercial operations circumnavigating the ban on third party sales, Defra will provide updated guidance to local authorities to help them distinguish between genuine rescue centres, and those that are actually commercial operations and are subject to the ban.

Pets: Travel

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people can travel abroad with pets after the UK leaves the EU.

David Rutley: Whatever the outcome of negotiations, when the UK leaves the EU, owners of pet dogs, cats and ferrets will be able to continue to travel to the EU with their pets but there may be changes to the system. We want owners to continue to be able to travel with their animals with the minimum of disruption, whilst maintaining our high biosecurity and welfare standards. The Department has submitted its application to allow the UK to become a Part 1 listed third country under Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations and is currently seeking technical discussions with the European Commission. It is now for the Commission to consider our application for listed status, following our departure from the EU. On 6 November 2018 Defra published guidance and advice on Pet travel to Europe after Brexit. The guidance also contains advice on the documents and health preparation required for pets to return to the UK from the EU.

Home Office

Home Office: Written Questions

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to respond to Question 188209, tabled on 5 November 2018, by the hon. Member for Sheffield Central.

Caroline Nokes: The response for UIN 188209 was given on the 20th November 2018.

Human Trafficking: Detainees

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of whether the UK’s obligations under Articles 12 and 13 of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking and Article 11 of Directive 2011/36/EU can be met for potential victims of trafficking who are detained in immigration detention centres.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people who have been identified as potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery during immigration detention and who have then received reasonable conclusive grounds under the National Referral Mechanism are released on receipt of that grounds decision.

Caroline Nokes: The necessary assistance and support, including medical treatment, information and interpretation services are available in immigration removal centres to fulfil the UK’s obligations under Articles 12 and 13 of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking and Article 11 of Directive 2011/36/EU. However, under current Government policy, potential victims of modern slavery identified in detention will be referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and will be released following a positive reasonable grounds decision, unless there are public order considerations to justify their detention.Those who receive a positive conclusive grounds decision to the effect that they are a victim of modern slavery under the NRM, but who have no leave to remain in the UK, may be detained in order to effect their removal. However, they will be regarded as vulnerable in the terms of the Home Office’s adults at risk in immigration detention policy (AAR). This means that such individuals will be detained, or their detention continued, only when the evidence of their vulnerability is outweighed by the immigration considerations in their particular case, including likely date of removal, compliance with immigration law and public protection.

Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: Training

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what gender awareness training staff at the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) have undertaken in relation to their inspections of workplaces; and whether the GLAA has a gender awareness strategy in place for those inspections.

Victoria Atkins: The GLAA informs me that it ensures its inspection staff have been trained to adopt a victim centred approach to determine whether exploitation has occurred, and to treat each identified victim according to their needs.

Immigration: Publications

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what oversight his Department has on the content included in Life in the United Kingdom: A guide for new residents.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office manages the Life in the United Kingdom contract and approves the content of each publication.The Department is reviewing the content of the handbook to ensure it re-flects modern society and British values – including the diversity of the UK.

Immigration: Publications

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the people listed in the next edition of Life in the United Kingdom: A guide for new residents reflect the diversity of the UK.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office manages the Life in the United Kingdom contract and approves the content of each publication.The Department is reviewing the content of the handbook to ensure it reflects modern society and British values including the diversity of the UK.

Immigrants: Detainees

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration detainees currently in detention have been detained for more than 28 days.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the number of people in detention, at the end of each quarter, by length of detention is available in table dt_11_q of the detention tables in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending September 2018’, available from Gov.uk:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758249/detention-sep-2018-tables.ods

Asylum: Housing

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on complaints against Serco as a provider of asylum accommodation.

Caroline Nokes: The asylum accommodation contracts are self reporting and therefore have their own complaints resolution process. Service users who have a complaint are encouraged to inform their providers who will work directly with them to resolve it. Each provider holds their own complaints data. If a complaint has not been rectified satisfactorily then this can be escalated to UKVI.We do not routinely publish data on complaints.

Asylum: Employment

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to recommendations made in the Lift the Ban report entitled Why people seeking asylum should have the right to work; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Government’s policy on right to work for those seeking asylum is consistent with EU law and permits asylum seekers to work, in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, if they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is through no fault of their own.During the Meaningful Vote debate on 5 December, the Home Secretary stated that although there are no current plans to change the current policy, it is an area he wished to review, and work on this is ongoing.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers and Warehouses: Migrant Workers

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will include HGV Drivers and Qualified Warehouse Personnel in the UK Shortage Occupation List; and if will he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Migration Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a Government-commissioned review on the full composition of the Shortage Occupation List. That report is expected to be published in the Spring. It is right that the Government awaits the MAC’s conclusions on this review before making any changes to the List.

Privacy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the implications are for the policies of (a) his Department and (b) agencies of his Department of the judgment in the case of Catt v UK Govt.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is currently considering the implications of the recent judgment.

Immigration: English Language

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many English language test centres in the UK accept certified copies of passports for non-UK citizens who want to apply for leave to remain.

Caroline Nokes: There are currently no Home Office English language test centres within the UK that accept copies of passports as standard, whether certified or not. Details of what documents can be accepted as proof of identity to take the approved Secure English Language Test are published on the www.gov.uk website, which sets out the Home Office position on copies: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/544663/2016-08-08_-_SELT_candidate_identification_requirements_v1.1.pdfThe only exceptional circumstance which might apply is where the Home Office is holding the original document in which case separate arrangements are made with test centres to verify identity in liaison with Home Office officials.

Visas: Applications

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of visa applications made using the Super Priority 24 hour service have received a decision within the service standard.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not collate or publish the information requested. Avail-able information on visas and service standards can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-november-2018

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on (a) the seasonal agricultural workers pilot scheme and (b) the tier 5 sponsorship licence for that scheme.

Caroline Nokes: The holding of a Gangmaster Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) licence is a pre-requisite for becoming a Tier 5 licenced sponsor for the Seasonal Workers Pilot and the Home Office is working closely with the GLAA.

Locks and Keys: Signal Blocking Devices

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to make illegal the (a) sale and (b) use of key fob (i) jamming and (ii) scanning devices.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with (a) car manufacturers and (b) insurance companies on the increase in illegal jamming and scanning devices that have the capacity to compromise keyless cars.

Mr Nick Hurd: On 15 January I chaired the first meeting of the Vehicle Theft Taskforce. The Taskforce brings together the automotive industry, insurers, the police, Government departments and others to help ensure that everything is being done to prevent vehicle theft. As part of its work, the Taskforce will review whether further measures are required to stop devices that may be used to commit vehicle theft falling into criminals’ hands.

Cars: Theft

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests have been made for car thefts using scanning or jamming devices on keyless cars in each of the last three years.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cars have been stolen using a jamming or scanning device in each of the last three years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests for notifiable offences on a financial year basis. The Home Office collects and publishes these data at the offence group level, for example, ‘Theft offences’ or ‘Miscellaneous crimes against society’, broken down by Police Force Area. More detailed information on the arrest, including the specific offence for which the individual is arrested, are not collected.Data on the number of arrests are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin. The latest bulletin, covering the year to 31 March 2018, can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-walesThe Home Office also collects data on crimes recorded by the police, including crimes for theft of a vehicle. These are published quarterly by the Office For National Statistics, available herehttps://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingseptember2018. However, it is not possible to tell from this information how many of these crimes involve cars and/or the use of a jamming or scanning device.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been the total cost to policing bodies of work related to the Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair at the Excel Centre in Newham in (a) 2017, (b) 2015, (c) 2013, and (d) 2011.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what policing and security measures are planned in relation to the 2019 Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not hold information on individual police operations, except in relation to some major events or incidents.Policing of the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service.

Human Trafficking: Dover

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the risk of illegal immigrants entering the UK via Dover on lorries admitted without a search in the event that UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: We make decisions on whether to permit EU traffic to enter the UK at the border through a number of checks using skilled people, technology and intelligence.Border Force will continue to prioritise security at the border whilst maintain-ing the flow of legitimate travellers and will always ensure it has the neces-sary resources to keep the border secure and respond flexibly to emerging requirements through ongoing assessments of operational needs.

Police: UK Relations with EU

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential increase in bureaucracy after the UK leaves the EU for the UK to (a) access the Schengen Information System, (b) co-operate with Europol and (c) access the Prüm database.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship which preserves mutually important operational capabilities - including mechanisms for rapid and secure data exchange - whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats.The Political Declaration, published on 26 November 2018, recognises that both the UK and the EU need a strong future relationship on internal security given the shared threats we face, our geographical proximity, and the need to continue to protect all of our citizens from harm.The Political Declaration reflects a shared commitment to put in place arrangements which provide for future UK-EU cooperation on Prum and Europol, and to consider further arrangements including in relation to the exchange of information on wanted or missing persons and objects.The exact terms of these arrangements will be for the next stage of negotiations.

Schengen Agreement

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether UK authorities will have continued access to the Schengen Information System after the expiry of a transition period on leaving the EU.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether UK authorities will have continued access to the European Criminal Record Information System after the expiry of a transition period on leaving the EU.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK will remain a member of Europol after the expiry of any transition period on leaving the EU.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship, to begin after the implementation period, which preserves mutually important operational capabilities whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats.The Political Declaration, published on 26 November 2018, recognises that both the UK and the EU need a strong future relationship on internal security given the shared threats we face, our geographical proximity, and the need to continue to protect all of our citizens from harm.The Political Declaration reflects a shared commitment to put in place arrangements which provide for future UK-EU cooperation on Europol, and to consider further arrangements including in relation to the exchange of information on wanted or missing persons and objects, and of criminal records.The exact terms of these arrangements will be for the next stage of negotiations.

Free Movement of People

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate the Government has made of the costs associated with ending the free movement of people between the UK and the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The Government’s White Paper “The UK’s future skills-based immigration system” (Cm 9722) published on 19 December 2018, includes an annex setting out the economic appraisal of the impact of our proposals.

Visas: EU Countries

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether UK citizens will be able to travel to the European Union visa-free and vice versa after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The EU has announced that UK nationals would be able to enter the EU vi-sa-free for short periods after the country’s exit, provided EU nationals en-joy the same conditions when travelling to the UK.Whether we leave the EU with or without a deal, the Home Secretary has announced that EEA and Swiss nationals will be able to continue to travel to the UK for holidays or short-term trips, without needing a visa.

Immigration

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the (a) potential effect on immigration levels of the Government's new immigration proposals and (b) implications of those proposals for Government policy on reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.

Caroline Nokes: The Government’s Immigration White Paper, the UK’s Future Skills-Based Immigration System (Cm 9722), includes an economic appraisal of potential impacts of the proposed future immigration system.

Dover Port: Human Trafficking and Immigration

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217562 on Home Office Spending, what page of Home Office annual report and accounts: 2010 to 2011 contains the information requested in that Question.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217563 on Home Office Spending, what page of Home Office annual report and accounts: 2011 to 2012 contains the information requested in that Question.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217564 on Home Office Spending, what page of Home Office annual report and accounts: 2012 to 2013 contains the information requested in that Question.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217565 on Home Office Spending, what page of Home Office annual report and accounts: 2013 to 2014 contains the information requested in that Question.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218254 on Dover Port: Human Trafficking and Immigration, on what page of his Department's transparency data that information is published.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218255 on Dover Port: Human Trafficking and Immigration, on what page of his Department's transparency data that information is published.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218256 on Dover Port: Human Trafficking and Immigration, on what page of his Department's transparency data that information is published.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218257 on Dover Port: Human Trafficking and Immigration, on what page of his Department's transparency data that information is published.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218271 on  Surveillance: English Channel, on what pages of each Home Office annual report and accounts is the information for each year to be found.

Caroline Nokes: We do not routinely publish breakdowns of operational departmental spending. The information we do publish can be found in Chapter Five of the Departmental Core Data Tables 2010-11 and 2011-12, in the Annex to the Departmental Core Data Tables 2013-14 and 2014-15 and the Parliamentary Accountability and Audit Report and the Financial Statements sections of 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Undocumented Migrants

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218253 on undocumented migrants, on what date his Department introduced its policy on not releasing internal management information; which Minister made that decision; and if he will place in the Library the relevant policy document on that decision.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218253, for what reason data on the number of clandestines detected at (a) juxtaposed controls and (b) UK ports for the years following 2014 have not been published.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218253 on undocumented migrants, for what reasons clandestines detected at juxtaposed controls and at UK ports for the years since 2014 is classified as internal management information; and if he will publish his Department's definition of internal management information used for such purposes.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217559 on Undocumented Migrants: Dover Port, when he plans to publish the data for 2015 onwards; and for what reason that data has not been published to date.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218253 on undocumented migrants; whether it is his Department's policy not to publish the number of clandestines detected at juxtaposed controls and at UK ports for the years since 2014.

Caroline Nokes: We do not routinely publish management information in answers to Parliamentary Questions as these answers cannot be subject to the same extensive assurance as official statistics outputs.Border Force does not routinely publish data that does not meet the Home Office standard for publication or that could impact its operational effectiveness. There are no current plans to routinely publish this data, but this is kept under review by Minsters.

Undocumented Migrants

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218253, how many clandestines have been detected at (a) juxtaposed controls and (b) UK ports since 2014.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force does not routinely publish data that does not meet the Home Office standard for publication or that could impact its operational effectiveness. There are no current plans to routinely publish this data in the future.Data on clandestine detection that has been published can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/number-of-clandestines-detected-at-the-juxtaposed-controls-and-at-uk-ports-from-2010-to-2014

Asylum: Children

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218270 on Asylum: Children, how many children have been transferred to date.

Caroline Nokes: The Government has committed to publishing regular updates on the number of requests processed under the Dublin III Regulation. The latest figures will be published on 28th February 2019 as part of the wider quarterly release of Migration Statistics, and will cover the 2018 period following the signing of the Sandhurst Treaty.

UK-France Migration Committee

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February to Question 218262 on UK-France Migration Committee if he will publish the membership of the Committee from each of the Contracting States.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218267, to which projects  (a) the €42.5 million has been committed and (b) the remainder of that funding will be committed.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library a copy of the action plan that he agreed with the French Interior Minister on 24 January 2019.

Caroline Nokes: The UK-France Migration Committee is comprised of policy experts and senior officials from both contracting states and is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Sandhurst Treaty and ensuring a high level of cooperation on border security and migration issues. The membership is not fixed, attendees vary over time and correlate to the issues being discussed. The Committee is normally chaired by the Director General responsible for immigration policy of the hosting state.The package of €50 million was committed by the UK to implement the terms of the Sandhurst Treaty. This funding package has been allocated to a variety of projects, including improvements to security infrastructure at the northern French ports, cooperation in facilitating returns, improving access to French domestic asylum procedures and ensuring that vulnerable migrants are provided with the support and care that they require. It is expected that the full €50 million will have been allocated to projects before the end of this financial year. More precise details of individual projects cannot be provided for reasons of security.A copy of the Joint Action Plan agreed with the French Government is publicly available on gov.uk, at the following address:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-france-joint-action-plan-on-illegal-migration-across-the-channel

Undocumented Migrants

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer 12 February 2019 to Question number 217557 on undocumented migrants, what estimate he has made of the number of migrants entering the UK illegally in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force do not routinely publish this level of data on clandestines, as this could compromise immigration controls and impact on national security.I refer the Rt. Hon member for Dover to the answer of 12 February which states:The Home Office works closely with partners in the UK and overseas to strike people smuggling at source – identifying and dismantling the organ-ised crime groups that facilitate illegal immigration. Additionally, the UK works abroad to reduce factors that may push or force people to attempt such journeys - through creating jobs, tackling modern slavery, providing education and delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance in response to conflicts and natural disasters.In November a new UK-France Coordination and Information Centre opened in Calais to strengthen our joint efforts to tackle all kinds of crimi-nality at the border. Border Force is working alongside Police Aux Fron-tieres as part of a 24/7 operation to help prevent illegal attempts to cross the shared border and exchange intelligence between UK and French agencies to combat cross-border criminality.Despite our successes in preventing attempts to enter the UK illegally, we are not complacent. We will continue to work closely with our French coun-terparts to maintain border security and keep legitimate passengers and trade moving.At juxtaposed controls and ports around the country, Border Force officers use some of the most advanced detection technology available to find and stop migrants attempting to reach the UK illegally.We have also invested tens of millions of pounds in new infrastructure to enhance border security, with all freight vehicles entering the UK screened for people being smuggled into the UK using a range of techniques, which include using carbon dioxide detectors and motion sensors as well as sniff-er dogs to detect clandestine on board lorries.We have taken steps to address the possibility that there may be a dis-placement of clandestine migrant activity towards smaller and less fre-quented ports, as enhanced controls at the juxtaposed ports have become increasingly effective.

Undocumented Migrants

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217557 on undocumented migrants, what proportion of freight vehicles are screened for people being smuggled into the UK.

Caroline Nokes: I refer the Rt. Honourable member for Dover to the answer of 12 February which states:We have also invested tens of millions of pounds in new infrastructure to enhance border security, with all freight vehicles entering the UK screened using a range of techniques, which include using carbon dioxide detectors and motion sensors as well as sniffer dogs to detect clandestine on board lorries.

Migrant Workers

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the UK’s future skills-based immigration system White Paper, published in December 2018, Cm. 9722, whether the time-limited transitional measure for low skilled labour will permit successful migrant workers to travel between regions and countries of the UK for the period of their stay where the nature of their work demands it.

Caroline Nokes: The transitional route will be open to workers from low risk countries at all skill levels and there will be no restrictions on migrants wishing to travel within the UK.

Immigration: Public Consultation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how private, public and voluntary sector employers in each constituent part of the UK will be consulted as part of the programme of engagement with sectors as pledged in the December 2018 white paper entitled The UK's Future Skills-Based Immigration System.

Caroline Nokes: The Government is committed to ensuring that a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, particularly businesses, have an opportunity to contribute their views on the future immigration system for EU and non-EU citizens alike. We are engaging in all regions and nations of the UK through regional and sector focussed events.We are establishing advisory groups that will have detailed discussions with private, public and voluntary sector employers and industry representatives as the policy and system is developed. Engagement will include roundtable discussions with private, public and voluntary sector employers and industry representatives.

National Crime Agency: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether officials in the National Crime Agency have had annual leave scheduled for April 2019 cancelled.

Mr Ben Wallace: Officers in the National Crime Agency have not had agreed annual leave scheduled for April 2019 cancelled.

UK Visas and Immigration: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether officials in UK Visas and Immigration have had annual leave scheduled for April 2019 cancelled.

Caroline Nokes: UKVI has not introduced any leave restrictions during April 2019. Business areas will be operating annual leave arrangements in line with Home Office policy.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218366, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of people who will be registered for settled status in the United Kingdom by (a) 29 March 2019, (b) 31 December 2020 and (c) 30 June 2021, in the event of the UK leaving the EU (i) with a withdrawal agreement and (ii) without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: The 3.5 million EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK are eligible to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Following two successful private beta test phases, we commenced the wider public roll-out of the scheme on 21 January. The EU Settlement Scheme will be fully open by 30 March 2019 and EU citizens will have until 30 June 2021 to apply, in line with the draft Withdrawal Agreement.In the event of a no deal, the Prime Minister has already made clear that all EU citizens resident here by 29 March 2019 will be welcome to stay. The deadline for applications will be 31 December 2020 to align with the start of the new UK immigration system.

Human Trafficking: Detainees

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suspected victims of human trafficking have been held in immigration detention since 2015.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office record the number of all individuals referred to the Na-tional Referral Mechanism (NRM) and this information is published Quarter-ly by the National Crime Agency. This information does not distinguish be-tween those detained under immigration powers and those living in the community. The reason for this is two-fold, firstly because the NRM referral is not an immigration route by which individuals should regularise their stay in the United Kingdom and, secondly, because a person’s status in immi-gration detention is not permanent and can change.The use of immigration detention in all cases is subject to regular reviews and consequently a change in circumstance may result in a different con-sideration. It is quite possible that an immigration detainee is referred to the National Referral Mechanism during a detention period and is released into the community at any point during that process.

Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre: Inspections

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implications for his polices of the conclusions of HM Chief Inspector of Prison's report on the (a) condition of the buildings and (b) needs of female detainees at Dungavel detention centre.

Caroline Nokes: The Government has fully considered the recommendations made by HM Chief Inspector of Prison following his recent inspection report of Dungavel immigration removal centre.The Government’s response to the recommendations made, including the ac-tions being taken forward, was published on the Inspectorate’s website on 19 November 2018. A copy of the Government’s service improvement plan can be found at the link below :https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/11/2018-11-15-Service-Improvement-Plan-Dungavel-House-IRC-Final.pdf

Visas: Overseas Visitors

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of visit visa applications have been refused in each year since 2000.

Caroline Nokes: Home Office published statistics on visitor entry clearance visas start from 2005.Information on visitor entry clearance visa applications and outcomes (grants, refusals, withdrawn and lapsed cases) is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Home Office publication scheme, in the Home Office’s ‘Immigration Statistics’, Visas data tables volume 1, table vi_01_q.The latest edition can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#visas

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether all Surinder Singh people with issued EEA Family Permits and UK Residence Cards will have to re-submit all evidence of life in the UK when re-applying for permanent UK residence after 29 March 2019.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the number of Surinder Singh cases that will have to re-apply for permanent UK residency after 29 March 2019.

Caroline Nokes: Where an application is made to the EU Settlement Scheme by an appli-cant who holds valid permanent residence documentation, or valid indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, the assessment of their previous UK residence will not be repeated.Otherwise, evidence of UK residence for the relevant period will be re-quired. The application process will help the applicant to establish their con-tinuous residence, on an automated basis using data held by HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions. This will keep the documentary evidence the applicant is required to provide to a minimum. If needed, the applicant will be able to upload documentary evidence of their continuous residence.There has been no estimate made of how many people documented under the ‘Surinder Singh’ provisions (those resident here by virtue of regulation 9 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016) will need to make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme. Those currently resi-dent here under regulation 9 are not generally required to hold EEA docu-mentation in order to be lawfully resident in the UK, as is the case with oth-er direct family members of EEA citizens whose residence rights are auto-matic.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Erasmus+ Programme

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans the Government has for continued participation in the Erasmus scheme in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Robin Walker: Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. The Political Declaration includes an agreement to establish terms and conditions for UK participation in EU programmes in areas of shared interest, including culture and, youth and education. It also contains a reference to wider dialogues and exchanges in culture and education, to allow us to share best practice and act together. The Government recently updated its technical notice that provides guidance to organisations and participants on the UK’s anticipated participation in the current Erasmus+ programme (2014 to 2020). The notice can also be found at: https://bit.ly/2GaP28y.This states that, to prepare for the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK Government has been seeking to engage with the European Commission with the aim of securing the UK’s continued full participation in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) until the end of 2020 and minimising the impact on projects in a no deal scenario. We are considering carefully the draft regulation the European Commission published on contingency for Erasmus+ on 30 January and are seeking to speak with them to seek clarification, and discuss further what they are proposing.In addition, in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Government’s underwrite guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK applicants for all successful Erasmus+ bids submitted before the end of 2020. Successful bids are those that are approved directly by the European Commission or by the UK National Agency and ratified by the European Commission. The Government will need to reach agreement with the EU for UK organisations to continue participating in Erasmus+ and ESC projects and, as mentioned above, has been seeking to hold these discussions.

UK Trade with EU

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to negotiate a common rulebook on goods with the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Political Declaration sets out the terms of an ambitious future trading relationship between the UK and the EU, including deep regulatory and customs cooperation.Within this context the UK may choose to align with the EU’s rules in relevant areas for goods. The application of checks and controls at the border would depend on the UK’s commitments, including in relation to the level of alignment.This balance will need to be agreed during the course of the future negotiations. Both sides have been clear that they wish to be as ambitious as possible. As the White Paper sets out, once we have left the EU the UK Parliament will legislate for any rules applied in the UK.

UK Relations with EU

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the proposals in the 12 July 2018 White Paper on EU-UK relations remain Government policy.

Mr Robin Walker: The deal that the UK and EU have agreed builds upon the Government’s White Paper of 12 July 2018. As the Prime Minister has said, this is a deal that fulfils the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum, protects jobs and the Union, and gives citizens and businesses certainty.

UK Trade with EU

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to negotiate the facilitated customs arrangement referred to in its July 2018 White Paper entitled The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Mr Robin Walker: We have agreed with the EU that we will negotiate an ambitious customs arrangement, with no tariffs, fees, charges, or quotas on trade, that will make use of all available facilitative arrangements and technologies. We have also agreed that there is a relationship between the UK’s commitments and checks and controls required between the UK and EU, which may lead to a spectrum of outcomes, but that both the UK and EU wish to be as ambitious as possible in establishing a future partnership. Both the UK and EU are clear that whatever is agreed in the future partnership must recognise the development of an independent UK trade policy beyond our economic partnership with the EU.

European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when the Government plans to publish a draft copy of Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Bill.

Kwasi Kwarteng: As we have always said, we will introduce the Bill as soon as possible once the Withdrawal Agreement has been approved by Parliament.It would be presumptive to introduce or publish the legislation implementing the Withdrawal Agreement before Parliament has approved the terms of the final deal.The Government is committed to doing everything it can to ensure that Parliament has the opportunity to scrutinise the Bill in the time available.

Brexit

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether under the Treaties of the European Union, the European Parliament must approve a withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU; and on what date the last meeting of the European Parliament will be before elections to that Parliament.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As outlined in Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the Withdrawal Agreement shall be concluded by the Council on behalf of the EU after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament. The last sitting day of the European Parliament ahead of its elections is 18 April 2019.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: North Korea and South Korea

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase bilateral trade with (a) South and (b) North Korea.

George Hollingbery: Total trade between UK and South Korea was £14.9bn in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2018, an increase of 8.4% from the previous four quarters. As we leave the EU we are working to ensure trade can continue to grow by securing continuity of South Korea’s FTA with the EU. Technical work is progressing well through the UK-Korea Trade Working Group, which was established by ministers in December 2016. There is a broad sanctions regime in place on North Korea that prohibits trade in a number of sectors. The UK has not taken any specific steps to increase our trade with North Korea at this time.

Department for International Trade: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

George Hollingbery: Details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 arepublished on Contracts Finder. Contracts published after 26 February 2015can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search. The Department has awarded four contracts to Deloitte in the last two years with a total value of £3,481,009. No contracts have been awarded to either Slaughter and May or Mott MacDonald.

Department for International Trade: Brexit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which EU agencies his Department plans to seek continued membership of after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

George Hollingbery: During the Implementation Period, the terms of the UK’s participation in EU agencies and bodies will be as set out in Article 128 of the Withdrawal Agreement. Following our exit from the European Union, we are committed to maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with the EU. Our future partnership is a matter for the next phase of negotiations, and we look forward to constructive discussions with the EU.

Iron and Steel: Trade Agreements

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) export figures and (b) employment figures in the UK steel industry should he fail to replicate the 40 free trade agreements that the EU currently has with third party countries during the transition period.

George Hollingbery: The Government is seeking continuity for existing EU trade agreements in which the UK participates as a member of the EU. In the year to Q3 2018, these constituted around 11% of our trade.The Government has been in extensive and constructive discussions with partner countries to transition these agreements to maintain their benefits and deliver as much continuity and stability as possible for businesses, consumers and investors as we leave the EU.Sector level impacts of not transitioning individual agreements have not been calculated.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Information Warfare

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2019 to Question 908935 on  Social Media: Information Warfare, when he plans to publish the White Paper on Online Harms White Paper.

Margot James: The joint DCMS-Home Office Online Harms White Paper will be published in the coming weeks.

International Broadcasting

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in how many media markets do (a) Russia Today, (b) Press TV and (c) BBC World broadcast for 24 hours.

Margot James: We do not hold this information. Ofcom, as the UK’s audiovisual regulator, currently licenses BBC World News and Russia Today for the purposes of AVMSD but it does not collect this type of information either. According to BBC’s own audience measurement data, World News is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide and around 454 million households.

Canoeing

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to English waterways for canoeists.

Mims Davies: The Government’s sport strategy, Sporting Future, encourages and promotes outdoor recreation. Use of our waterways by all can be a creative and fun way to engage with the natural world and to stay healthy. Sport England is actively engaged with British Canoeing and the Canal and River Trust to get more people from all backgrounds active. In addition Sport England is providing £6.85m to British Canoeing for the period between 2017 to 2021. The ‘public rights of navigation’ issue around access to waterways is dealt with by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and they are currently working with British Canoeing to consider solutions to access disputes.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Deloitte, (b) Slaughter and May and (c) Mott MacDonald is in the last two years.

Margot James: Details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

Sports: Children

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage children to participate in a range of sports outside of the school day.

Mims Davies: We want all young people to be healthy and active. That is why Sport England is investing over £194 million (between 2016-21) into projects focusing on improving children’s engagement in and enjoyment of physical activity. This includes £40m for projects which support families with children to get active together, and continued investment into satellite clubs. We are also working with the Departments for Education and Health and Social Care on a new cross-government action plan, to get kids active in and out of school, which will be published in spring.

5G

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on opening up access to undeployed 5G 3.6GHz radio spectrum for use by independent and community networks.

Margot James: The Government’s key objectives in relation to spectrum are ensuring the efficient and effective use, improving mobile coverage and encouraging innovation and investment in new 5G services to meet future demand. In the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, the Government set out how the 3.6 GHz band could facilitate access to spectrum to support 5G services, thus promoting dynamic efficiency and innovation through more flexible approaches to spectrum licensing. We welcome Ofcom’s consultation document on the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz release for 5G services. Whilst Ofcom have provisionally stated that these bands will be auctioned on a national basis, the Government continues to explore spectrum sharing models which would allow community or small provider solutions to meet the needs of local areas. DCMS meets regularly with Ofcom to discuss these issues and consider future use cases for 5G technologies. However as Ofcom is the national regulatory authority, they are responsible for managing spectrum and ensuring that spectrum is used in the most effective way to facilitate such growth. More broadly, the Government believes that there should be greater liquidity in the spectrum market and barriers to spectrum trading should be removed. The Government would like Ofcom to clarify, through amendments to its Spectrum Trading Guidance Notes, that leasing or pooling of spectrum is not prohibited under the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011 (as amended).

5G

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential coverage benefits to rural communities of adopting a dynamic spectrum access model for the allocation of 5G radio spectrum.

Margot James: We are committed to ensuring that people enjoy world-class digital connectivity wherever they live, work and travel and that every part of the UK is able to benefit from the advantages that digital connectivity brings. The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review set out the potential benefits of a dynamic spectrum access model for rural areas that are less likely to be covered by 5G mobile networks. Fast, reliable connectivity can deliver economic, social and well-being benefits for both rural businesses and residents, creating opportunities for businesses to tap into a global customer base and for people to work more efficiently. Government continues to explore this and other spectrum sharing models and therefore welcomes Ofcom’s recent consultation documents on spectrum sharing and their proposals toward flexible licensing practices. Ofcom, as the national regulatory authority, is responsible for managing spectrum and ensuring that radio spectrum is used in the most effective way for all sectors, including those most relevant to rural areas, such as agriculture.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Brexit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which EU agencies his Department plans to seek continued membership of after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: During the Implementation Period, the terms of the UK’s participation in EU agencies and bodies will be as set out in Article 128 of the Withdrawal Agreement. Following our exit from the European Union, we are committed to maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with the EU. Our future partnership is a matter for the next phase of negotiations and we look forward to constructive discussions with the EU.

BBC: Expenditure

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the total spent by the BBC on rights to show third party material in each of the last five years.

Margot James: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport does not hold this information. This information is held by the BBC.

Nuisance Calls

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is tacking to tackle the level of nuisance calls from foreign call centres.

Margot James: We have been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work on practical solutions to this problem. In December 2018, we introduced new rules that enable company directors to be held personally liable for the nuisance calls their company makes. These rules apply to international marketing calls made on behalf of UK companies. We also secured over £600k in the Autumn Budget which we have used to provide vulnerable people with call blocking devices. This measure has protected the most vulnerable in society from nuisance calls scams including those originating from overseas call centres.

Google: Data Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with Google on personal data misuse.

Margot James: We take the protection of personal data and the right to privacy extremely seriously. We regularly make clear the importance that all companies, especially the biggest global tech firms who process vast amounts of personal data, comply with the UK’s Data protection Act 2018. As the Strategic Relationship Management Minister for Google, I have met with Google to discuss a range of matters. Details of all Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published routinely and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications on Gov.uk.

Culture: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 216298 on culture: Barnsley, for what reasons there has been a decrease in funding between 2016-17 and 2018-19.

Michael Ellis: The financial year 2018-19 is yet to conclude.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the annual participation targets are for the National Citizen Service to 2020-21.

Mims Davies: Ministers confirm the annual participation target for the NCS programme alongside the approval of the yearly budget for the NCS Trust. For 2018/19, Ministers agreed a target of over 100,000 participants. The budget and participation target for 2019/20 are not due to be agreed until March 2019. The target for financial year 2020/21 will not be agreed until March 2020.

Youth Organisations: Finance

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much public money has been allocated to uniformed youth organisations in each year since 2010.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not all held centrally. In January 2015, a list showing grant schemes run by central government since the 2013 to 2014 financial year was published on GOV.UK, and subsequently annually updated. It can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-grants-register. This government has invested £5 million in 2018-19 in supporting uniformed youth organisations to engage thousands of disadvantaged young people in areas of deprivation across the country, improving their wellbeing, mental health and life skills. Details of the funding announced to date can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-to-benefit-from-multi-million-pound-boost-to-youth-organisations .

Garden Bridge Trust

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings were held between the chair of the Charity Commission and the Garden Bridge Trust before its registration as a charity.

Mims Davies: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Charity Commission for England and Wales has responded with the attached letter.



Letter from Charity Commission 
(PDF Document, 133.49 KB)

Garden Bridge Trust

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Charity Commission in fulfilling its duties in relation to the Garden Bridge Trust.

Mims Davies: The Charity Commission is the independent regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales. Its duty is to look at the extent trustees are meeting their legal duties and whether charities are complying with charity law It is not in the regulatory remit of the Commission to examine other issues such as the merits of a project or how it is funded In 2016-17 the Commission undertook extensive scrutiny of the governance and oversight of the Garden Bridge Trust by its trustees. That case concluded that the trustees were meeting their duties and were acting in compliance with charity law. The outcomes of that case were published on the Commission’s website in early 2017:  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595064/garden_bridge_trust.pdf The Commission has continued its regulatory oversight since publishing the report. It has seen no evidence to date that the eventual failure of the project was as a result of failings or omissions on the part of the trustees of the Garden Bridge Trust, but is reviewing the final financial statements now available as part of its ongoing regulatory assessment The Commission has continued to hold the Trust to account as necessary, such as when it was late in filing its accounts. The Commission has confirmed that it expects the Trust to publishing a full statement of total project costs. Once the Commission has received those documents and, following analysis, it is comfortable that there are no further regulatory concerns, the charity will move to wind up.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he (a) has received representations and (b) holds information on changes to the commissioning and procurement procedure by the National Citizen Service Trust in identifying delivery partners and subcontracted partners in the English regions to which it plans to deliver directly; and if he will make a statement.

Mims Davies: Ministers have not received representations on changes to the commissioning and procurement procedure by NCS Trust in the regions it plans to deliver directly. NCS Trust is running its Recommissioning Programme to execute a revised delivery model for the NCS, in order to help it meet its objectives. Central to this model is the procurement of three different types of partner organisations that together will enable the delivery of the NCS programme from start to finish. Officials in DCMS are working closely with colleagues in the NCS Trust to make sure the Recommissioning Programme is successful.

National Citizen Service Trust

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2018 to Question 135849, what recent steps he has taken to reduce the amount spent on unfilled places.

Mims Davies: NCS Trust has regular checkpoints planned with its Delivery Partners to discuss their forecast performance in 2019 and make adjustments to the number of places commissioned where appropriate, in order to minimise spend on unfilled places For provider contracts that begin in 2020, NCS Trust has re-designed the way its outsourced regional Management Partners will be paid, in order to significantly reduce the amount spent on places which are not filled.   In areas where NCS Trust will be providing the regional management function itself, flexibility has been created within its contracts with Delivery Partners to confirm participant numbers for each season at a later point in the year. This will allow NCS Trust to make an assessment of the level of demand for NCS places, based on the number of young people who have signed up, ensuring an accurate number are commissioned. The aim of this approach is to use performance data in-season to better align the supply and demand for NCS places, minimising the number which are paid for but not filled.

Third Sector

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 14 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy, published in August 2018, what steps his Department has taken to renew its commitment to the principles of the Compact.

Mims Davies: The Civil Society Strategy is long term, setting out our vision for government’s work with and for civil society over the next 10 years and beyond. This is an important recommendation in the Strategy. Whilst our resources are currently focused on other priorities from the Civil Society Strategy and on preparing for EU exit, we are exploring options for taking this forward and expect to progress later this year.

National Citizen Service Trust

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2018 to Question 135849 on National Citizen Service Trust, whether delivery partners will still be paid for unfilled places under the new proposed contracts for 2019.

Mims Davies: Some NCS Delivery Partners are not responsible for managing the recruitment of young people to their programmes. These Delivery Partners are generally small, local non-profit organisations, so in order to protect them from undue financial risk, once the number of places being commissioned is confirmed by NCS Trust, payment for these places will be guaranteed. For provider contracts that begin in 2020, NCS Trust has re-designed the way its Management Partners will be paid, in order to significantly reduce the amount spent on places which are not filled. Delivery Partners managing their own recruitment are guaranteed payment for a proportion of their NCS commissioned places. This gives smaller, local organisations the financial security they need to get involved in NCS. The remaining places will only be paid for if they are filled. NCS Trust will only pay for unfilled places in a situation where a Delivery Partner does not recruit enough young people to cover the proportion of places that has been guaranteed. This allows NCS Trust to share risk with the youth and voluntary sector, so that small organisations can benefit from being part of the delivery chain.

Attorney General

Crown Prosecution Service: Standards

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Attorney General, what data his Department holds on the average length of time taken by the Crown Prosecution Service to deliver early investigative advice in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.

Robert Buckland: During 2017/18 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) took an average of 28 calendar days from the receipt of a request for early investigative advice to complete the consultation and provide a response to the police. Responses to the police may take longer depending on the complexity of the case in question. The facility to capture and report this information through the CPS Case Management Information System was introduced on the 1st April 2017.